


Final Fantasy XV: The Chosen King

by Itsallonthepaper



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV Spoilers, Canon Compliant, Daemons, Final Fantasy XV Spoilers, I have too much time on my hands, Insomnia, Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV Spoilers, Origin Story, Regis loves his son, So much death already, Sorry Not Sorry, Tenebrae (Final Fantasy XV), Young Ignis, Young Noctis, i have no life, just carbuncle being super awesome, platinum demo things, regalia, young Regis
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-18
Updated: 2018-12-14
Packaged: 2019-03-06 09:55:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 23,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13408779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Itsallonthepaper/pseuds/Itsallonthepaper
Summary: The story of Final Fantasy XV sees the young Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum and his companions embark on an epic journey, as he seeks to reclaim the throne which has been taken from him by the Niflheim Empire. It however turns out to be a feat that is not as simple as it may seem, as the young Prince must not only fight the Empire, but also deal with personal hardships and tragedy, whilst ultimately combat the powers of darkness.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> -*DISCLAIMER*-  
> I do not own any of the characters, places or otherwise in this story. It is a work of fiction, which I have based on the myriad of Final Fantasy XV content, and attempted to write the full story of Final Fantasy XV, in the way that I hope/believe it was, as I try to fill plot holes. I earn no money from this, and its sole purposes are for me to let out some of my love for this story, as well as try to give others a sense of completion for this story.  
> Thus, the story-telling is my own work, but any characters, major events, places, and their like, are not content of mine, but something which I have drawn from either FFXV interview confirmations, the wiki page, the vast amount of FFXV trailers (and even some VS13 trailers), the Brotherhood anime, the Kingsglaive movie and the game itself. My own theories are reflected in the story, but other people's fantheories may also make an appearance; in such case, I will credit them in the notes. 
> 
> That said, with new content being released for the game on a regular basis, and with the Royal Edition coming up, some parts of the story are likely to change, and/or eventually become incorrect. Please do take this into consideration, when you read this.  
> Furthermore, each chapter requires an incredible amount of research into characters, events, etc. and depending on how busy with school and work I am, each chapter might take some time to complete. I will update with notes, as time passes.  
> Do note, I have formerly posted an early version of this story on Fanfiction.net, so if you feel like you've seen this before, that is the reason. 
> 
> Sidenote: I am in heavy need of a beta for this piece, seeing that this piece is an incredible amount of work, and I need to hear a second opinion, from someone who loves the FFXV universe as much as I do.

Light shone from the tall windows behind the throne, lighting up the vast hall. Despite the incredible amount of light coming in however, the room maintained a sombre hue. Along the sides of the room, the seats of the Royal Advisors were situated, however currently empty. The railing which separated their seats from the rest of the room was of dark metal, with golden Lucis Caelum family seals placed about half a metre apart. At the end of the big hall, by the tall windows, the dark stairs leading to the Throne were situated. It was a grand Throne, something from fairy tales, with its golden, carved decoratives towering above the seat of the King, reaching all the way to the ceiling. Rarely had Noctis set foot in this room, but his father, the King, had requested that Noctis had accompanied him there. 

The King, Regis Lucis Caelum CXIII, stood tall in front of his son, wearing his usual dark attire, complimented by a golden shoulderplate and his cape. His dark hair was combed back, his beard emphasising his facial features. His forest-green eyes accentuated by the dark circles underneath, cheekbones standing sharp; it was the sight of a hard-working King. His voice was deep and warm, echoing in the vast Hall as he spoke. 

“Listen well: A King cannot lead by standing still. A King pushes onward always, accepting the consequences and never looking back. That said, a King can accept nothing without first accepting himself,” Regis told his young son. However, his speech seemed not only directed towards Noctis, and suspecting they were not alone in the room, Noctis’ small eyes attempted to gaze past his father’s tall figure. This however, proved unnecessary, as the King put a large hand on his son’s back, and pushed him forwards, past himself.

In front of Noctis stood a boy with ash blonde hair, whose green eyes were looking intensely at Noctis in a welcoming yet nervous fashion. The boy stood straight, and appeared a few years older than Noctis, not only considering his nice clothes worn for the occasion. 

“Should he stand still, I ask you stand by him and lend him a hand – as his friend, and as his brother.” Now standing before the stranger boy, Noctis too became nervous, looking away from the boy’s eyes, hesitant to keep eyecontact. “Please, take care of my son.” The boy extended a hand towards Noctis, who looked at it for a moment, to then cup it with both of his own. It felt warm to the touch, friendly, something which made Noctis smile. 

“This, Noctis, is Ignis Scientia. He will act as your friend and advisor. He will stand by you in dire times, lending a hand, should you need it.” The green eyes returned to looking at Noctis, a friendly smile on his lips. 

“I trust that the two of you will make good friends. While you both have each your own duties, I have faith that you will spend valuable time together.” Ignis shuffled on his feet, and with a bit of hesitation, he opened his mouth and spoke, with a voice that resonated with pride and respect. 

“It is my pleasure to meet you, Prince Noctis.”


	2. The Father

It was early in the morning; the sun was just reaching past the horizon, and the land of Lucis was veiled with a bit of morning fog. King Regis was standing by the window in Noctis’ room, ready to wake up his son who was still fast asleep. The sound of Noctis’ heavy, slow breathing was filling the room, as Regis looked over the Citadel Gardens in which the Crownsguards were slowly changing shifts. Today was a day, which Regis wished his wife, Queen Aulea, would have lived to see, as she would have been so proud of their son. Clutching Noctis’ new schoolbag in his hand, Regis was thinking of how fast his son had grown, and considering if it had been the right choice he made, to let Noctis attend public schooling, rather than having private tutors. However, having insisted on the benefits of knowing life among normal citizens, Aulea and Regis had always been keen on raising their future children as normally as possible. 

Regis sat down, looking at the watch around his wrist. It was 6:57, and in an hour’s time, he and Noctis would enter the gates of Noctis’ new school. Looking down at his left hand, Regis gazed at the Ring of the Lucii. One day, his son would have to carry the burden of this ring, a great responsibility which Regis knew would tear away at his son, just as much as it had torn away at him. It was a great power, this Ring carried, one which brought wisdom, the power to tame the magic the Crystal lent its Kings. However, with great power comes a great cost, one which is the most expensive of all; the Ring sapped its wearer from his or her life force. Even more so with the last few of the reigning Kings, as they had powered the New Wall of Insomnia, one which kept the Crown City safe from the dangers of the outside world, in particular that of the Empire of Niflheim, with whom Lucis had been at war with for the better part of a century. 

Standing up once again, Regis walked over to Noctis’ bed, and sat down beside his son. Carefully, he put a hand on Noctis’ warm arm. His hair was a big mess around his head. Aside from his eyes, Noctis carried the very same characteristics of appearance as all former Kings of Lucis; Noctis’ eyes had the same colour as his mother’s: blue, but his hair was pitch black, and he would not grow to be the tallest of men. 

“Noctis, it is time to wake up. There is a mere hour until school starts!” Regis said quietly, trying not to startle his son as he woke up from his sleep. Noctis opened his eyes slowly, and sitting on his elbows, he looked groggily at his father and yawned. 

“I will be waiting downstairs so we can eat breakfast together. Then, I will accompany you on your drive to school,” He smiled to his son who nodded in agreement, and then he left the room. Now all alone in his room, Noctis climbed out of his bed, and barefooted he dragged himself over to the window, noticing that the pillows in the seat had been shuffled. Out of the window, he could see the newly arrived Crownsguards patrolling the garden in their dark uniforms.

Having dressed, Noctis joined his father for breakfast in the dining room. It was a tall room, yet not the biggest in the Citadel. It overlooked the Citadel’s Plaza outside, and high above, the sky was blue. Noctis sat down in his chair in front of his father. Nervous, Noctis barely said anything, something which concerned his father.

“Not going to touch the food?” Regis asked, looking to his son who was poking around in his food. He shrugged. 

“It’s awful.” Noctis muttered. 

“Don’t say that, the cook may be sent away for it!” Regis said and put a spoonful of food in his mouth and made a funny face to Noctis, attempting to make his son laugh. And it worked. For a moment, the two shared a laugh as Noctis copied his father’s face, but the fun quickly faded again, as Noctis stared out at the blue sky. 

“Are you sure nothing is the matter?” Regis asked, fishing for the truth. Sighing, Noctis looked at his father, a sadness painted all over his face. 

“What if nobody likes me at school?” Noctis asked. Regis smiled to his son, in an attempt at comfort. 

“Of course they will like you, why would they do otherwise?” Regis asked. “It is normal to be nervous on your first day of school. There will be many people, so I am certain you will find someone to talk to!” He reached for Noctis’ hand across the table, in an attempt at giving his son a loving pat on the top of it.

“Just be yourself, and I am confident people will like you,” Noctis gave a half smile to his father, and the two continued to eat the food, silently enduring the taste. 

“You know, I might need to have a word with the cook…” Regis chuckled. Noctis smiled to his father, and the two finished their breakfast in a now slightly more comfortable silence. 

Having finished breakfast, Noctis and his father left the Citadel. Noctis was wearing his new backpack, and with his short legs, he fell behind his father, who reached the Regalia first. The tinted windows and black paint of the Regalia reflected almost like a mirror, and Noctis could see himself approach the car, which his father had arranged for him to receive on his fifth birthday. It used to be Regis’ old car, from back when he ventured to Accordo with his four comrades. However, he felt the car would be a pleasant surprise for his son. Now, the car had slowly become a safe haven for Noctis, and often when he felt upset, Regis would bring his son for a ride, which ultimately resulted in Noctis falling asleep on the backseat. King Regis opened the car door for his son, and as Noctis climbed in, he saw a familiar face.

“Good morning, Noctis!” Ignis’ slender face smiled down at him, his eyes glimpsed behind his glasses. The sight of his friend made Noctis forget all his worries about the day approaching. 

“Will you be starting school today as well?” Noctis asked eagerly, hopeful that he would know someone when he started school. Ignis shook his head. 

“Sadly, no. As you know, I am schooled here, at the Citadel. His Majesty the King thought it would help that I came along on the ride, as it may help you cheer up,” Ignis said carefully. 

“Oh…” Noctis sighed. Disappointed, he looked out of the car window, and the Regalia slowly came into motion. Ignis’ company did indeed make Noctis feel better, however knowing that his friend would not be alongside him during school made him sad, and once again the sense of impending loneliness struck Noctis like a lightning bolt. 

During the car ride, the King sat in the front seat of the car, alongside the Crownsguard driver. Next to Noctis, Ignis was reading a book, supposedly something for school. In the streets, people could be seen, wearing diverse types of clothes and hairstyles. Noctis had rarely left the Citadel in his younger days, so seeing this amount of people around woke his curiosity. The streets were lit up by many colours, stemming from the incredible amounts of billboards and signs, promoting anything from Cup Noodles to clothing sales. Curious about what to expect from going to school, Noctis turned to Ignis. 

“Ignis?” He asked carefully, hoping he did not disturb the older boy too much in his reading. Ignis read a little further and then, with a finger tucked between the pages, he closed the book and looked to Noctis patiently. 

“Yes?”

“What’s school like?” Noctis asked. Ignis thought for a second, pondering how to respond to Noctis’ question most appropriately.

“Well, in your school there will be a lot of students. You will have a class, where there will be around 25 other children your age, and you will have lots of subjects every day, so you can learn everything you need to learn before you become an adult,” Ignis explained. Having been granted an opportunity just two years prior, Ignis was enrolled courses at the Citadel, which would eventually lead to him being able to assume the official position as Noctis’ Advisor and Strategist. 

“Is that what your school is like, too?” Noctis asked, his eyes big from curiosity. Ignis shook his head. 

“No, I am tutored privately at the Citadel.” From the front seat, King Regis looked back at the two boys, trying to save Ignis from Noctis’ many questions that were looming. 

“Ignis is studying to become your advisor when you grow older. He will learn the same things as you, but he also has many other things to learn, which you do not at this point in time.” Regis explained without further ado, knowing that this information would suffice. Ignis nodded to his King as a thank you, and reopened his book, continuing where he left off. 

 

“Are you ready?” Regis asked as the two stood before the gates of Insomnia’s Primary School. Noctis’ stomach was filled with butterflies as he stood next to his father, clutching his hand as hard as his small fingers allowed him to. Regis kneeled in front of his son, to be level with his son. 

“Noctis, I cannot go in there with you. You need to be brave, you can do this, my son.” Noctis’ eyes got blank, avoiding his father’s gaze, he looked down towards his black canvas shoes. His father put his left hand on Noctis’ shoulder, and with his right index finger, he lifted his son’s chin. A small tear was leaving traces along Noctis’ cheek, interrupted by Regis’ thumb that quickly brushed it away before it got past his nose. 

“Cheer up, you can do more than you like to give yourself credit for. We believe in you,” he said and pulled Noctis close and hugged him. Noctis, at first reluctant to return the favour, inhaled the smell of his father one last time and wiped his eyes. 

“Walk tall, my son,” Regis said and stood up in front of his son. Looking past his father, Noctis saw Ignis sitting in the car, looking out at the two. Noctis waved half-heartedly to Ignis, who in response gave him a smile and a thumbs-up for encouragement. Now a bit more decisive, Noctis gave his father one last hug, and with a deep breath, he turned around, his small backpack jumping slightly up and down for each step he took, and without looking back over his shoulder, Noctis went into the building ahead. 

Inside, the hallway was filled with children, some both older than Noctis, and same as his age. They all wore the same clothes as he, a pair of blue shorts and a white dress shirt. The boys wore a tie, whereas the girls had a loose ribbon tied under their collar. Along the hallway, several hooks had been placed, on which students could hang their coats. However, being early autumn, it was still not cold enough for anyone to need such, so these were empty. 

Further down the hallway, Noctis could see a door, on which a large paper was hung, on which his name stood. With a deep breath, Noctis walked through the already opened door. Inside, there were four rows of tables, on which there were name plates. A few other students had already arrived. Three girls, who seemed to know each other, and a blond boy sitting in the corner. In the rear end of the classroom, Noctis found a nameplate which read “NOCTIS”. Dumping his schoolbag on the floor beside the table, Noctis sat down in the chair and with folded hands, he waited impatiently for more people to arrive. 

After what seemed forever, all students had finally arrived, and a small, dark-haired lady with big glasses came in the room. She wore a hideous green dress and boots. Everywhere Noctis looked, he could see curious gazes in his direction, something which made him quite uncomfortable, sinking further down into his seat. The teacher presented herself and wrote her name on the blackboard, something which Noctis gave little attention to; all he cared about, was for this day to end so he could go back home and play with his toys. Resting his hand on his fist, Noctis looked out the window, even as the other students around him started shuffling around. 

“Noctis, are you with us today?” The teacher asked, and Noctis awoke from his daydream, returning to the classroom. A red-haired girl was standing next to the teacher, holding her nameplate in front of her chest. The other students were all looking at Noctis again. 

“Yes. Sorry, Miss,” Noctis apologised and shifted in his chair, unconsciously trying to wake himself from the land of his daydreams. He was a bit confused as to why the teacher had addressed him not as Prince, but solely by his first name. Trying to appear interested, Noctis leaned back in his chair and looked towards the front of the classroom, attempting to remember the facts which his classmates told about themselves. Finally, it was Noctis’ turn. 

“Now dear, just tell us your name, how old you are, and what you hope to do one day,” the teacher told him as he took his place next to her. He had forgotten his nameplate by his table, but as it seemed, he would not need it for the other students to remember who he was. All around, the other students were whispering across the tables, and with a big lump in his throat, Noctis managed to start his presentation.

“M-My name is N-Noctis… Ehm, Noctis Lucis Caelum. I’m five, almost s-six years old. One day, I’ll be King of Lucis.” With hesitation, he looked up at his teacher who nodded, and a bit too eagerly clapped in her hands. She was a large lady, her dark hair bun jumping up and down as she clapped, and all around the classroom, the chatter had gotten louder as he had finished his presentation. Finally, after a few minutes, the teacher had managed to regain silence in the class, and Noctis could sit down in his seat again. Now, it was even harder for Noctis to be inside the classroom without being looked at. Feeling like an animal in the zoo, Noctis could not wait until the day was over. 

 

After six long hours at school, Noctis was finally picked up by his father, at the gate by which they had said goodbye earlier. Waiting, Noctis looked towards the children playing on the grounds. Despite the many curious looks Noctis had been given, none of his classmates had approached him and asked if he wanted to play with them, so Noctis had ended up sitting alone on a bench, looking at the others.

“Hello, Noctis!” Regis’ voice said as the man left the car to greet his son. Disappointed, Noctis did not even say hello to his father, and just entered the backseat of the car, which, this time, was empty. With a sight, Noctis sat down in the seat, clicking his seatbelt in, he stared out of the window. A few moments later, his father got in the backseat beside him, and soon after, the Regalia set into motion. 

“So, how did it go today?” Regis asked, hoping that his son would be honest with him. Already from the way Noctis acted, Regis knew something was wrong. A realisation which gave the man a heavy heart. 

“Fine.” Noctis responded shortly, without moving his gaze from the city outside as it passed. Regis bit his lip, considering if it would be too much to push his son for further information. However, he decided not to push for more information for the time being, so he moved further down into his seat, thoughts sticking to worry. The car was quiet, and after a few minutes’ drive, the young Prince had a challenging time keeping his eyes open, head consistently dropping slowly towards his chest. Eventually, he laid down with his head resting on his father’s thigh. With a deep yawn, Noctis fell asleep, his father’s right hand gently caressing Noctis’ arm and back, trying to ease the young boy into comfortable sleep. 

Looking out at the city, as the Regalia slipped through the narrow streets, Regis noticed that it had started to rain, drops running along the windows in diagonal lines. The drops seemed to chase each other, to then collide and become a bigger drop on the window. They had reached the Old Wall, which had statues of ten former Kings, and two Queens of Lucis, standing tall, protecting the Crown City. 

Suddenly, it felt as though the car underneath the King disappeared, his son vanished from his side. Then, he began to fall, into what seemed like a bottomless pit, consumed by the darkness. Screaming in frustration and fear of crashing, Regis conjured his Sword, attempting to warp towards a wall, to which he could hold on. But there were none. 

“It is just a dream, wake up!” Regis yelled to himself, unable to believe his own words. The entire experience felt too real for it to be a dream; he would have woken up at this point. But what had happened? Before Regis could consider the answer to the question, his falling slowed somehow, and within a few seconds, he landed softly on his feet, at what must have been the bottom of the pit. The hem of his trousers started to get heavier. He looked down and realised there was water at the bottom of the pit, rising to about his ankles. He could barely see anything, as the pit was lit only by shards of light that were flowing in the air, eight feet above. From all around him, a blue, luminescent fog started to emerge. Not knowing what it was, Regis raised his arm, covering his mouth with the sleeve, praying it was not toxic.   
Within seconds, the fog had gathered, forming vast shapes all around him. He counted them, amounting to twelve. Lowering his arm, Regis realised the fog meant no harm. Now, the pit more lit than previously, Regis looked down in the reflective water, and the sight scared him. His face was withered, hair silver and eyes bloodshot. Scars were forming along his temples, and Regis could barely recognise the man who gazed back at him in the water. 

“When Darkness veils the world, the King of Light shall come,” The voices of the Old Kings resonated loudly in the room. Regis looked up at the King standing before him, The Founder King. 

“Why have you summoned me here?” Regis yelled from the top of his lungs, furious to have been summoned at such an inconvenient time. It was only now, that Regis realised the Ring on his hand lit up brightly, burning hot around his finger, yet not hot enough for it to be painful. It was a heat which he had been familiar with, ever since his father had died, leaving the Ring of the Lucii to be his. It was a heat, which drained him from Life, which gave him the power to wield the Crystal’s magic. A heat, which allowed him to protect his people. 

“As prophesised by the Crystal, the Chosen King of Light must sacrifice himself to save Lucis. Only he can save Eos from darkness eternal. The one-hundred and fourteenth King must make the ultimate sacrifice to save the world, accepting the full power of the Crystal and banish the usurper from this world and Beyond,” Regis looked around him for a moment, pondering the words of the King. Then, it dawned upon him, and his blood came to a boil. There was no way that this could be true. 

“What kind of prophecy is this? Why are you telling me this?” Regis asked, almost pleading, hoping that this would be some kind of nightmare, a joke. However, the Kings’ and Queens’ silence made the man frustrated, and in agony, he screamed.

“Tell me, now!” Regis yelled from the top of his lungs, but in an instant, he had returned to the car, his son by his side, leaned back in his seat. The Regalia had come to a halt in the Citadel Plaza. He shook his head, trying to convince himself he had been dreaming. He looked down at the Ring on his finger, and his heart fell heavy in his chest once more. It was lighting up just slightly, in the dimly lit backseat. The driver of the Regalia had long gone, and was standing outside in the pouring rain, waiting for Regis to get out of the car. However, Regis brushed him off, and as soon as he left, the man could no longer hold it in.  
Tears pushed their way into his eyes, trying to hold them back, his eyes began to sting. He hit his head back onto the headrest of the seat, as his eyes began to make their way out of his eyes, down his cheekbones and into his dark beard. Uneasy, Noctis began to move beside him, and Regis quickly wiped the tears. 

“Shh,” Regis hushed his son, carefully lifting his head off his thigh. Then, he opened the door and climbed out of the car, and gently lifted his son, carrying him in his   
arms. Now, hidden under his father’s cape, Noctis was protected from the rain, and continued to sleep with his head resting on his father’s chest, listening to the man’s heartbeat. Regis held his son closer now, than he had done maybe all of Noctis’ life. Unable to hold back, he let the tears stream down his face once more. Filled with a dangerous cocktail of sorrow and anger, Regis spoke to his son, determinant.

“Noctis, with all my might and power, I swear I will protect you,” Regis whispered in his son’s ear. However, having been scratched by his father’s beard, Noctis pushed his face away with a small hand. With a deep breath, King Regis looked up into the sky, thinking of his wife; how he wished she could have been with him in this moment, been able to hold him and bring him comfort, sharing his grief with her. Every time Regis looked at his son, he thought of Aulea, as Noctis had her deep blue eyes, and her stubbornness. 

“I know what I must do…” Regis said, as he pulled himself together with a deep sigh. For each step he took away from the Regalia, Regis’ determination and fury grew.

 

Having left Noctis in his room to continue his nap, King Regis proceeded towards the upper parts of the Citadel. The walk there felt endless, and the only sound to be heard was the sound of the heel of his shoes clicking on the marble floor as he walked, as well as the sound of rain drumming against the windows of the hallways he went through. He had considered what to say, when he finally stood before the Crystal. How would he approach it? For all he knew, he would be unable to make contact; after all, none had done it before, only when the Crystal had a desire to speak to the King itself. 

Regis hesitated when he finally reached the door. Standing between two Crownsguards who guarded the door, Regis could feel their eyes resting on him, as he stood with his hand on the door handle, shaking. Eager to get away from their curious looks, Regis slipped through the door and into the dark room.  
It had no windows; that would be too risky, considering the chance that windows would be easy to break through. There were no lights either, but that was barely necessary, as the purple light from the Crystal was sufficient. 

In the middle of the room, the heavy Crystal was suspended from chains, which were attached to the ceiling. The Crystal itself was considerably dark. It had a dark, rocky surface, but the inside was bright, pulsating with light, reminding Regis of a heart. Despite having seen the Crystal several times before, Regis was always blown back by the sight of it. It was the cornerstone of the Kingdom of Lucis, the very source of Regis’ ability to wield magic and conjure the weapons of his ancestors, and the soul of Eos. It was the Light that kept the Darkness at bay, the very source of protection of the Lucian Kingdom. 

“I see, that you have come to confer with me,” a deep voice echoed in the big room. It was one which Regis had heard only once before, one which resonated with the true might of an Astral. It was the voice of Bahamut, the spokesperson of the Astrals, the mightiest, the God of Light and War.   
Regis pondered Bahamut’s words for a second; his fury was difficult to contain, and despite being angry with the Astrals, he also had no wish to make them angry as well. After all, if the Old Kings had spoken the truth, the Astrals were Regis’ only hope for saving his son.

“Why him? Take me instead,” Regis pleaded, having finally found his words. A loud chuckle resonated in the room, sounding almost beastly. Regis got goose bumps, and most of all, he wished that he had not brought it upon himself to challenge the decisions of the Astrals. However now it was too late, and he had no other choice but to push on, trying to save his son. Regis knew that one King of Lucis would be chosen by the Crystal, as that was the sole reason he was protecting it, carrying on the Line of Lucis.

“He is the Chosen King. He must bring the Light back to Lucis, when Darkness falls. Only he can wield the power of the Crystal, and unleash its true power,” Bahamut argued, his voice having returned to being monotone. “He has been chosen by The Six; only he can fulfil the Prophecy.” Regis swallowed his grief, as all hope seemed to vanish from his mind. All he had ever wanted, was to protect his son from harm. For him to lead a normal life, to marry, to pass the Throne to his children, just like Regis had attempted. 

“But how long? Will… Will he have enough time to live?” Regis asked, his voice weak from sorrow. It became harder by the minute for Regis to contain his sorrow. He cleared his throat, and closed his eyes, and with a deep breath, he gathered himself. How could he successfully debate politics and war-efforts, which would affect the lives of young Lucians, and not even flinch, yet discussing the life of his son was so hard he could barely think straight.

“Adventure will present itself. You, King, have more imminent matters to show your concern. When the time comes, he will be ready.” Bahamut spoke, and the Crystal’s light dimmed down once more. Sinking to his knees, Regis felt more powerless, than he had ever been before. He had fought hard to ensure that his son would have a life that would bear close resemblance to that of a normal citizen. Despite not knowing if possible, Regis was determined to ensure that Noctis’ life would continue as it had, ignorant towards the responsibility that weighed heavy on his shoulders, doing whatever he could, to try and alter his son’s fate. 

 

Regis had sat on his knees in front of the Crystal for a while, pondering how to further protect his son. He was ready to take whatever measures required. Even if it meant that he would have to risk other peoples’ lives. If Noctis died, the Line of Lucis would be extinct, and Lucis would stand without rulers; there would be none to protect the Crystal.

Sorrow now replaced by determination, Regis walked fast towards the Hall of the Throne, having called for a gathering of his advisors. He had made a plan, one which would ultimately ensure that Insomnia would stand tall against it enemies. Despite being confident that his advisors would speak against it, Regis knew he had the last word, and that eventually he would be able to convince even his Shield, Clarus Amicitia, that this was a necessary measure.   
Regis walked into the tall Hall, and with fast steps, he walked towards the Throne. The rain had ceased, and small rays of sun were peeking in through the windows, through the thick veil of clouds that were remaining from the past showers. He sat down in his Throne, looking towards all of his advisors, resting his eyes at Clarus. The nearly bald man looked uneasy, confident that the King’s sudden call of a meeting was not a mere discussion of finances. 

“Thank you all, for coming on such short notice,” Regis started. Clarus looked at his King with a hint of confusion in his eyes. Regis pretended not to have seen it. He realised he sounded different, angrier. Regis cleared his throat, and with a deep breath he continued speaking. 

“I have decided to establish a new military unit, which will be in charge of protecting the Citadel, specifically the Lucian Royalty,” With these words, several of the advisors began to speak on top of each other, each of them protesting against Regis’ words, but Clarus remained quiet. His eyebrows were pinched together, considering his King as he spoke. 

“The Crownsguard will move out of the Citadel and protect the city, whereas the Kingsglaive will be a specialised unit, to whom I will lend my powers,” Regis said, as he conjured a fireball in his hand. The flames licked the man’s skin, without burning him. With these words, even Clarus could not keep quiet anymore. 

“Your Majesty, where will you find the recruits? We are already struggling to recruit able members of the Crownsguard; creating a whole new military unit would be unwise, to say the least – “But Regis cut him short of his speech. 

“I considered this myself. However, I came to the conclusion, that we could draw on the outlying regions of Lucis, those not protected by the Wall.” Regis continued to look down at the fireball, knowing that it would take a long time for the others to even remotely accept the proposition he had come up with. 

“But sir, those Regions have become known to show rising support of Niflheim.” 

Despite the hour-long arguments King Regis ended up having with his advisors, they finally gave in, knowing that their King had the final word. He firmly believed, that by offering a way back into the protection of the Kingdom, even the citizens of Galahd would show their allegiance once again to the King. The more allies Lucis had, the stronger it would stand against Niflheim. By lending these soldiers the powers of the Crystal, Regis firmly believed they would stand strong against any threat; believed, that they would be able to protect him and Noctis, even if it meant Regis’ Life would drain faster than it already was. 

The King had been quick about spreading the message of the establishment of the Kingsglaive. Broadcast in both radio and newspapers, he attempted to recruit any and all that wished to serve the King. Indeed, Regis’ plan had worked; citizens of regions both near and far had come to support, and now there was no longer a lack of able recruits, instead a lack of room to train them all. Even Regis had to come in to train the new soldiers, seeing that he was the only person who knew how to wield the powers of the Crystal, and the many training sessions he had to observe and teach, soon meant that he vanished from Noctis’ life. 

One afternoon, Noctis had been looking for his father, hoping to show him a drawing he had made in school, one which he was proud of. He had looked in his bedroom, but he was not there. Standing in the middle of the room, the drawing in his small hand.

“Prince Noctis, what are you doing?” Shocked by the sudden voice originating from behind Noctis, he jumped in the air and turned around, to see Regis’ retainer standing in the doorway. Noctis shuffled on his feet, looking down at his canvas shoes. 

“Nothing…” Noctis said quietly, and the retainer extended a hand towards the small boy, inviting him out of his father’s bedroom. Looking around, Noctis sighed and walked past the retainer, without even looking at him. He was disappointed, but had not given up quite yet. There was still his office. So Noctis hid behind a statue, seeing that the Retainer was locking up his father’s bedroom so Noctis would not attempt to go in there again, and he slowly walked away. He was an old man, who had even served Noctis’ grandfather, King Mors, and now he was likely to serve his son until he died of old age.   
Noctis rounded the corner towards his father’s office. He approached the door, and tried the handle, and the door opened! Noctis smiled satisfied to himself, and with   
a quick glance around him, he slipped inside the room. 

It was a large room, with bookshelves along most of the walls. It had a small balcony on which there was a couple of lounge chairs and a beautiful old lamp, as well as more bookshelves. Noctis ran a couple fingers over their covers. Unable to quite understand what they said, Noctis knew many of these books were older than even his grandfather, his father had told him that. Most of them were history books, but others were also for herbalism, magic, sciences; and most were first editions. The room was lit up by the light from a vast window.

Noctis ran over to the window, and with a hand on the cold glass, he looked out at the grounds. Only now did Noctis realise, that the window overlooked the training   
grounds, and he saw his father stand before the new soldiers, speaking. He could not hear what he said, but he could hear his voice, as he spoke loudly, ensuring all recruits could hear him. Even from up above, Noctis could see, that his father was exhausted. In the sunlight, Noctis caught a glimpse of small silver hairs that had begun to emerge from his scalp, and he walked a bit more slow than normal. 

Noctis sat down on the floor beside the window, keeping an eye on his father, and tears began to make their journey away from his eyes and down his cheeks. He missed playing with his father like they used to, or the times when they took a ride in the Regalia, just because they could. He missed hugging his father, falling asleep as he read bedtime stories for him, while Noctis rested his head on his arm. Noctis leaned his head against the cold window, and slowly, he fell asleep, with the drawing on his chest. 

“Noctis?” Regis’ voice woke him up with a shock. Noctis looked around groggily, until he finally saw his father who was standing in the doorway, looking at him.   
“What are you doing in here?” Regis asked, sounding almost angry. Noctis rubbed his eyes, and looked down at the drawing. He took it in his hand and stood up, holding the drawing up so his father could see it. The sun was setting outside. 

“I made you this!” Noctis exclaimed happily, not sensing his father’s anger with him for breaking into his study. Regis was silent as he looked at his son, as he approached. He took the drawing which Noctis handed him, and looked down at it. It was a drawing made with crayons, of a car and two figures next to it. One taller than the other, with the text “Dad” above his head. 

“What do you think?” Noctis said excitedly, as his father looked over the edge of the paper. Regis was angry with himself for having gotten so worked up about his son having entered his study. He never locked the door, so that Noctis would be able to find him if he needed him. His anger with Noctis might instead be more of an anger with himself for not being there for his son when he needed his father’s attention. He had not been there much for his son in the past months; they barely ate together, as Regis was busy training each team of new recruits, so Noctis was left much to Ignis’ company. 

“I like it,” Regis said and walked towards his desk. He took a piece of tape, and stuck it to the inside of his binder, which he used every day when he held meetings with his advisors. “Now, I can look at it every day when I am in meetings.” Regis said and clapped his son’s shoulder. Noctis smiled and hugged his father’s leg. 

“Will you be there for dinner tonight?” Regis shook his head, and Noctis’ happiness was now replaced my sadness. 

“Not today. I have some more training to observe – “Noctis crossed his arms across his chest. 

“You always do.” Noctis said and ran out of the study, leaving his father standing behind, unable to say a word before Noctis had gone off. Regis sighed to himself and dumped down in his chair. 

 

“Noctis?” Ignis asked. Noctis had fallen into a daydream during dinner. Having come back to reality, Noctis looked back at Ignis as a response. Ignis sat in front of the younger boy, juxtaposed in almost every way; he sat with his back straightened, napkin tucked in at the top of his dress shirt, whereas Noctis was hanging over the table. 

“You need to eat your vegetables, they provide important nutrients,” Ignis lectured him. Despite being only eight, he was keen on keeping Noctis healthy. He had just started learning about nutrition and health, and soon start a course on cooking, despite not being very fond of it. Noctis rolled his eyes in response, and put his fork into the pile of peas he had on his plate, and shoved them into his mouth. He chewed it carefully, wrinkling his nose as their taste did not fall to his liking. Ignis however approved, and returned his eyes to his own plate. Carefully, Noctis lifted his napkin from the table, attempting to make it look like he was wiping his mouth, he spat the peas out into the paper. The Crownsguard by the entrance to the dining hall chuckled, but attempted to cover it up with a cough. Ignis lifted his gaze from his plate, and looking to Noctis over the rim of his glasses, Ignis curled his eyebrows. 

“Noctis…” Ignis sighed, but Noctis did not listen. Instead, he went to attack the steak on his plate, and Ignis decided to leave the discussion for another day to come. Quietly, Ignis returned to eating his food, carefully cutting bite-size pieces, which he carefully chewed, whereas Noctis had barely swallowed a bite before he stuffed his fork in his mouth once more. 

Seeing that Noctis and Ignis spent more time together, now that Regis was always busy. They got along well together, Noctis felt, but it was also a friendship that was heavily affected by Ignis’ role as an advisor, so it did not quite develop into a friendship Noctis really wanted, where they would play together. They lacked that relaxed, friendly connection. Most of Noctis’ classmates only talked to him if they were curious about his life as Prince, but at school, Noctis wanted to put his royalty behind him and just be Noctis. 

There was only one student in his class, who had not even attempted to talk to Noctis yet. Noctis had noticed him already on his first day of school, the blond boy. He always stuck to himself, taking pictures of almost everything around him. He was a curious boy indeed, and he often caught Noctis’ attention, without even intending to. 

 

Some days later in school, Noctis had gone outside during recess and retreated to an area behind the main building, where he used to go whenever he felt like the other children were becoming too much of a hassle. He looked around, and the place looked the same as it always did; there were some traffic cones which the P.E. teachers often used for ballgames, and some other types of obstacles that were used. From behind, Noctis could hear someone approaching around the corner, but did not care to think too much about it. A few seconds later, he heard a loud thump, which made him turn around and consider the boy who had approached him. It was the blond classmate, and he had fallen over on the ground. 

“Are you okay?” Noctis asked as he approached, extending a hand down towards the boy to offer him some aid. The boy gasped, and looked away from Noctis, as he reached for his hand. 

“Yeah… T-thank you…” The boy stammered, and with a firm grip, he held on to Noctis’ hand. Noctis pulled hard, but the boy was on the heavier side, so it posed a challenging task to lift him. 

“You… You’re heavy…” Noctis huffed as he pulled, leaning backwards with his bodyweight, trying to ease the task. The boy said nothing in response, appearing to be ashamed by the fact that Noctis had carelessly blurted. After a couple moments’ struggle, the blond boy was finally on his feet, and Noctis gave the boy a quick look to see, if he had any injuries. Seeing none, Noctis looked at the boy, who was still not comfortable looking at him, so the two stood in awkward silence for what felt like an eternity, until they were saved by the bell ringing to class. 

“Well, I’ll see you around!” Noctis called as he ran back towards the schoolyard, as he meant to run back to class. Without looking over his shoulder, Noctis rounded the corner, and very low, he could hear the boy’s voice behind him.

“Name’s Prompto, by the way!” Noctis smiled and took note of the name he had heard. For once, he had a feeling like there would be someone at school who was not only interested in him as a Prince, and that felt good. A slight warmth spread in Noctis’ body, by the thought of possibly getting a new friend. Despite not having spoken properly to the strange boy, Prompto, Noctis just had this feeling that they would become friends. Proper friends. 

In the following few days, Noctis kept an eye out for the boy, but he did not see him around the school. Sure, he was in class every day, but he did not see him around during recess, or leaving the school even. So Noctis had returned to the car in the parking lot, feeling disappointed, almost every day. It would be a week later, that Noctis saw the boy again, as he was waiting for the Regalia to pick him up after school. 

As Ignis held the door open for Noctis, he got into the car, and as he had turned around, he saw Prompto walking away, head hanging low. Noctis was urging to walk after the boy, talk to him, but Ignis had closed the door behind him, leaving Noctis to look longingly after the young boy. Ignis got into the seat next to Noctis, who kept looking in the direction of the boy. Noctis had so many questions he wanted to ask the boy; if he had both of his parents, where and how he lived, if he had any pets, what his favourite foods were. 

“Everything in order, Noctis?” Ignis asked from the other side of the car. Without removing his gaze from the boy, Noctis nodded, and the car set in motion. Noctis could hear Ignis opening his book once more, flipping through the pages, looking for that which he had reached. The silence was deafening, only interrupted occasionally by car horns from the cars surrounding the Regalia. That night, Noctis was to eat dinner with his father for the first time since he had established the Kingsglaive. Thus, Ignis was not to attend this time, something which felt weird to Noctis. After all, Ignis had been there for every meal he had eaten in the last many months. 

Yet, this one evening, Regis had taken some time off, to eat with his son. The silence in the room was almost suffocating; the only sounds to emerge, were the occasional times the Crownsguard by the entrance shifted on his feet, and the sound of cutlery against the black porcelain plates. 

“How have you been?” Regis asked his son carefully, trying to break the silence, unsure of what else to ask his son. Unlike many other children his age, Noctis was never quick to forgive, and Regis had a feeling that this silence between them would just be the beginning of a growing tumour on their relationship. Noctis’ silence almost confirmed this, as Noctis kept staring down at his plate, barely even touching the meat. 

“Noctis, I know I have not been there for you much lately. I have had responsibilities that took more of my time, than I had first anticipated. I hope, that I can spend more time with you soon,” Regis said in a soft voice, trying to convince himself of his words. But even he knew, there was no certainty in what he said. He could never promise Noctis to spend much time with him, as he never knew what would be thrown at him the following day. Noctis nodded, poking some more at his food, sensing that his father was hiding something from him. 

“Dad?” Noctis asked, poking at his food, which he was yet to take a proper bite of. 

“Yes, son?” Regis asked, happy that his son was speaking to him. In the few months that had passed, where he had barely seen his son, he had grown quite a lot it seemed. Almost everything physical about him seemed the same, but his behaviour was more restricted, careful.

“Why are you so sad?” Noctis asked, scared that his father would be angry at him for asking. On the contrary however, Regis chuckled and moved his head closer to Noctis’, and spoke in a lowered voice, trying to make it seem like he was telling his son a secret, which the Crownsguard by the entrance was not allowed to hear. 

“I am not sad, I just miss being with my favourite son,” he said and winked to his son. Deep down, Regis knew that he could not keep his son’s fate secret forever, but children should not have to worry about such matters. Especially not, when there was a chance that Regis could avert his fate. However, it seemed Noctis accepted his answer, as he began smiling because of his father’s response.

“Can I come see the new soldiers practice someday? I really want to!” Noctis said eagerly, almost jumping in his seat. Regis chuckled once more, considering his son’s proposition. 

“Well, how about I bring you next time I will go observe them? If you promise that you will not wander off; these men and women are doing dangerous things, and I do not want you to get hurt,” Regis said, nodding slowly. Noctis jumped in his chair, arms raised above his head. Finally, Noctis would no longer have to sneak into his father’s office to peek at him in the training grounds; instead, he could be right next to him. 

“One day, I’ll be just as good at fighting as you!” Noctis said dreamily, as he dropped down in his chair again. Regis pushed his chair out and signalled for Noctis to come over and sit on his thigh, something which he had not done for long. Noctis followed his father’s request, and jumped on his lap, and leaned against his father’s chest as he had done when he was younger. Both enjoyed being near the other again, and it was easy to forget how long it had been since they had last spent quality time together. 

“You know, I am truly sorry to have been away so much. Let me make it up to you, I promise. I will be there more. No need to look at me from a window anymore,” he said and hugged Noctis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like Regis has always been this ambiguous character. Because in the few minutes he has with Noctis in the game, you can tell how much he loves his son, but it is never properly shown. There are so many details of their relationship that I feel are let out, especially seeing the Versus13 trailers that are also heavily represented in this chapter. Regis is one of my favourite characters, and he deserves more love than he gets...
> 
> That said, I hate having to do time-skips, and I will avoid them as much as I can. However, in order to prevent making a long story even longer, and even more so, to prevent just writing filler material, I will have to accept their necessity :c
> 
> I hope you liked this chapter! Chapters up until four/half of five are already written, but I need to look through them and rewrite them like I did with this - the original Chapter One was 4 pages shorter..


	3. Carbuncle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, so it's taken me ages to get to publish ANYTHING at all. I have been SO busy with getting into the rhythm of medical school that I just haven't had the energy to write :c But here I am, ready to rumble and so is Noctis <3

The low humming of the car engine was slowly lulling Noctis to sleep. It would be a long journey from Galdin Quay and back to the Crown City. The convoy of cars was slowly making its way through the hilled landscape, and the sun was setting behind the island of Angelgard. Beside him sat Noctis’ caretaker during the trip. King Regis had spent some time in Galdin Quay for some civil events, and had decided to bring along Noctis, in an attempt at spending some time with his son outside of the Crown City in the time immediately after. However, the two did not get to spend much time with each other, as an emergency had occurred, and Regis was required back in the Crown City almost immediately following the events. Noctis however had stayed in Galdin Quay.

Exhausted from the amount of attention he had gotten from strangers, Noctis was eager to return to the Citadel. The caretaker had a comforting hand around Noctis’ shoulders, and it was only a matter of time before he returned to dreaming himself far away. Looking forward to seeing his father however, Noctis could not stop thinking about how much he had to tell him. In the evening, Noctis had found fireflies behind their home in Galdin Quay. However, Noctis could not find a jar to keep these in, so unfortunately, he could not show them to his father.

Suddenly, the car was brought to a halt, and the ground underneath it shook. Noctis had almost fallen asleep, and the caretaker moved forward in her seat to look out, pushing Noctis to the side, leaving him in an uncomfortable position. From outside sounded an incredible roar. The Crownsguard drivers in the front seat left the car, telling the caretaker to stay in the car and protect Noctis. However, just as they had left, the enormous creature flung its swords at the men, leaving them bleeding to death on the ground.

The monster rose high above ground. The lower half of its body resembled that of a snake. It was long and scaled, and in the dim light from the last rays of today’s sun, it appeared blood-red. Its upper body was more human-like, closely resembling that of a woman. However, with three arms on each side of the body, the creature was nothing like anything Noctis had ever seen before. The monster’s eyes were focused on the car in which Noctis sat, and flashing its fang-like teeth, the sight sent a shockwave through Noctis and the urge to run away struck him like a lightning bolt. The caretaker seemed to have the same urge, and pushing the door open in Noctis’ side, the caretaker gestured for Noctis to exit the car.

Following orders, Noctis stumbled out of the car, eyes still on the monster. The caretaker quickly followed, and as fast as his short legs allowed it, Noctis ran. Hearing the slithering sound of the beast’s incredible body approaching from behind, Noctis filled with panic. A massive roar came from behind, and soon after, an ear-ripping scream sounded from Noctis’ caretaker. The force of impact knocked Noctis to the ground. He landed right next to his caretaker, whose blank stare looked back on Noctis. Frightened, Noctis laid still in the pool of blood that slowly grew around him. Looking up, the monster was towering above him, and it lifted its sword above the head. Noctis, closing his eyes in fear, raising his arms in front of his face to protect it, spoke a silent prayer.

But nothing happened. Noctis, opening his eyes again, and saw his father appear, along with several Crownsguards. Wielding the swords of their ancestors, Regis held back the monster, so it could do no more harm to Noctis and his company.

“Noctis!” His father yelled, as he came closer, and, being lifted from the ground, Noctis finally found himself in his father’s arms. Drained from energy, his body got heavy, and Noctis’ eyes closed.

 

Noctis could feel cold ground beneath him. Slowly coming to, he groaned as his head was hurting. Unsure if due to physical injury, Noctis put his hand to his forehead, but with no visible blood, he decided to sit up. Looking around, he seemed to be in a forest of sorts. The trees were incredibly tall, with long vines hanging down. Confused about his whereabouts, Noctis stood up.

“Hello?” He asked, only to see a four-legged creature walk towards him. It had long, pointed ears, and was no bigger than a small dog. It was white, and not quite like anything Noctis had seen before, and it had a small, red horn in its forehead. It held something in its mouth. A mobile phone.

Having looked at Noctis for a moment, it left the phone on the ground in front of Noctis, and quickly after, it left and went further into the forest. Looking after it, Noctis picked up the phone. Hope flowed through Noctis. Now he could possibly find his father, and get back home to the Citadel. The phone buzzed. Filled with excitement, Noctis lifted the phone.

_Hello? Can you read this? In front of you!_

Noctis, looking up from the phone, he saw the funny creature having walked back to him. It started walking the same way it left the last time, only now it signalled for Noctis to follow. Phone still in his hand, Noctis got up from the ground, still perplexed. Where was he? The phone buzzed again, and as though having read his mind, the creature had responded to his question.

_This is the world of your dreams. This is your Kingdom._

Looking around, Noctis had to admit this world looked like nothing he had ever seen before. It did however, seem weird. Why would he have fallen asleep? Stretching his brain as far as he could, he tried to recall what last happened, before he came here.

“Fire…” he whispered. All Noctis could recall was the fire and screams. Lots of them.

Following the mysterious creature, Noctis began to run. The creature ran effortlessly across the uneven ground. Noctis however, stumbled over the rocks and branches that protruded from the ground. As they moved forward, a path was caved in between two large rocks, on which a tree had fallen over, providing shade from the afternoon sun.

It looked as though there were fireflies in the air, as small, shiny particles flew around. They seemed to fly around in groups as well, almost making them seem alive. However, as Noctis touched them, they vanished into thin air. The ground started shaking, and suddenly gigantic creature came walking towards them. The shaking ground made Noctis remember the monster which had attacked him. Terrified, Noctis ran closer to the wall, afraid that this creature’s intentions were the same. The little creature turned around and looked at him, and the phone started buzzing again. Looking at the phone, Noctis read:

_Don’t worry about that guy. He may look scary, but he’s actually a very gentle giant!_

Carefully leaving the shadows, Noctis walked up next to the mysterious creature and took a better look at the giant. He was of earthen colours, and a shiny hue appeared around him. Just as quickly as he had appeared, he vanished in a flurry of golden particles that filled the air, and flowed with the wind. Flabbergasted, Noctis looked around, and the tiny creature began moving forward.

“Where am I?” Noctis whispered to himself. During the brief moment that he was unaware of his surroundings, he slipped and slid down into an underground passage filled with water. The creature quickly followed.

_You haven’t dozed off – you’re out cold! If you want to wake up and see everyone again, we have to find the exit!_

“Wake… up?” Noctis asked, getting more and more confused. As though ignoring his question, the creature moved on through the uneven terrain. Now, the grass and somewhat stable ground was gone, and replaced with wet and slippery stone, making it even harder for Noctis to stay on his feet.

“Wait!” Noctis huffed as he began to run in the now also slippery terrain. “You didn’t answer my question!” Noctis called out, trying to focus on staying on his feet. However, the creature, who had a familiar sense to it, never stopped, or even slowed down.

 

After having run for what felt like hours, the sun had started to set, and the two reached a lake within the passage. The creature stopped and looked back at Noctis, with a worried expression in its face. Noctis sat down on the ground and looked up at the sky.

 _We better make camp here for tonight…_ _We still have a long journey ahead of us._

“What did you mean with ‘ _finding the exit_ ’?” Noctis asked, trying to catch his breath. The creature tilted its head and looked at Noctis with its pearly black eyes.

_You are not safe here, Noctis. You have to get back to your father._

“Why do I have to go back? I quite like it here!” Noctis said excitedly. After all, it was quiet, and he had no school to attend; no responsibilities. But something was not quite right, Noctis knew as much.

 _We can’t stay here; The monsters come out at night and we need to hide from them_. _There’s a cave over there!_

The creature moved towards the walls of the passage, where a small hole was to be found. Noctis crawled inside, but it was incredibly dark inside. Noctis stretched out his arm, and he could barely see the fingers at the end of it. The creature’s horn suddenly lit up brightly, and the entire cave stood clear to Noctis. Inside there was not much room, but enough for the two to sit somewhat comfortably.

Noctis had sat down in the back of the little cave, hugging his knees, as he had started to freeze. The creature seemed to notice. It went over and sat down next to Noctis, leaning up against him. A sudden warmth spread from where the creature touched Noctis, and all the way to the top of his head and the tips of his toes.

_I don’t think I introduced myself! I’m Carbuncle. I’ve been sent here to protect you from the monsters!_

“I know you!” Noctis exclaimed, slamming his hand in the ground. “My dad gave me a figurine of you when I was younger!”. Carbuncle looked up at him, a slight hint of sadness in its eyes. Phone, still in his hands, Noctis kept looking at it. He had so many questions bubbling inside his head, but he knew nothing of what to start asking, so he stumbled on his words. However, Carbuncle seemed patient, and after a few moments, Noctis could finally phrase his first question.

“If this is my dream world… Then why are there monsters here?” Noctis said in a low voice. Carbuncle shifted in its place, so that it could look properly at Noctis, yet still touched him, so that he kept warming up Noctis.

_Well, your dreams have been infested with daemons, and they are the reason you can’t wake up! We need to escape them!_

“What’s… a daemon?” Carbuncle seemed no less worried with Noctis’ question, and after a moment, the phone buzzed.

_A daemon is a creature of the darkness. They were once like you and I, but something possessed them._

“What?!” Noctis exclaimed. Carbuncle shook its head.

_I can’t tell you that. All I know is, that if we don’t get you out soon, you will be stuck here._

“But… Where am I?”

_Here? This is your dream world, as I said earlier. But up aboce, you’re in Tenebrae. Your father brought you there after the Marilith attacked you outside Galdin Quay. He sent me to protect you in this world, so you could come back home._

Chewing on Carbuncle’s words, Noctis looked away and down at his hands. The images of the burning car, and the enormous monster, apparently called Marilith, returned to Noctis. So did the image of his caretaker who had tried to protect him, and died in the attempt. Sadness hit Noctis like a wave, and his eyes started tearing up. Why would he want to return to a world of pain and suffering, when he could just stay here? Along with Carbuncle, he could defeat the monsters and stay in the world of his dreams forever. But then, he thought of all the happy times he had had with his father. His friend, Ignis.

_I need to bring you back. So we need to find the exit! But first, we should sleep!_

Noctis could feel his stomach growling from hunger. Looking down, placing a hand on it, he could feel the emptiness inside.

_So you’re hungry? No problem!_

Carbuncle stood up and closed its eyes. Noctis observed its every move closely. It had no place for an inventory of food. From where it would get the food, if it did not leave the cave, Noctis had no idea. Carbuncle lowered its head towards the ground, and a red light started to glow. Hesitant to cover his eyes, Noctis squinted his eyes, and a small scent of food had reached his nose. It smelled good. The light vanished as quickly as it had come, and when he opened his eyes again fully, Noctis was filled with happiness. Despite it being a simple thing, the sight of something well-known made him happy. It was Cup Noodles.

_I know it’s not much, but I hope it can help you!_

Noctis grabbed the cup and started to eat it with great pleasure. Never had Cup Noodles tasted this good, Noctis thought to himself. They had prawn in it, and tiny pieces of vegetable which Noctis attempted to skip past.

Having finished the noodles, Noctis yawned. Tiredness flooded him, and he laid down. It was hard to find a comfortable position on the rocky floor of the cave, but Carbuncle went up to him and laid down, signalling for Noctis to put his head on its back. Once again, Noctis felt good, and he quickly fell asleep.

 

The following day, Carbuncle was nowhere to be found when Noctis woke up. Noctis poked his head out of the small entrance, and still, no Carbuncle. Despite it talking to Noctis through the phone, there was no way in which Noctis could communicate with it through the phone. No number to call or text. Nothing. It did not even react when he pressed all the buttons on it.

Feeling abandoned, Noctis went outside the cave, and looked around. It was still quite dark outside, but the sun was looming in the horizon. Walking around the small lake, Noctis tried to find his friend.

From behind, Noctis could hear approaching footsteps. Excited, Noctis turned around, only to see a creature he had never seen before. Most of all, it looked like an enormous hound. It was pitch-black, and its eyes were glowing red. From its mouth, vast fangs protruded, and a deep growling sound escaped its lips. Too scared to make a sound, Noctis fell to the ground and tried to crawl backwards away from the hound, which followed. Its claws were sharp and ready to tear. The beast got ready to jump onto Noctis, and in fear, Noctis’ breathing got rapid, heart pounding away in his chest.

Closing his eyes, Noctis thought to himself that this was it. He would never see his friends again. But then, something heavy landed in his lap. The sensation startled him, as he thought the beast was now standing on top of him. However, realising he was still alive, he opened his eyes and found his sword. The very sword his father had given him on his eighth birthday. It was made of plastic, and very closely resembled his father’s sword.

Noctis grabbed the sword, and quickly hit the hound on its head and got on his feet. The hound was enraged by this, and it leaped at Noctis. However, mid-air, the hound stopped, and landed on the ground. Behind it, Carbuncle had grabbed onto the hound’s tail, keeping it from leaping at Noctis. Together, they pounded away at the hound, until it finally ran away whimpering. Having defeated the hound, Noctis jumped in the air, feeling proud of himself.

The sun had finally risen above the horizon. The phone buzzed in Noctis’ pocket, and he took it out.

_It is not safe to go outside before the sun has risen… Hounds like these will hunt you down. But we’re safe now, so let’s go and find that exit!_

Leaving the passage with the lake, Noctis once again found himself in a forest, just like where he had first woken up. Carbuncle seemed to know the way, so joyfully, Noctis followed. Despite the two not speaking much, Noctis felt like time passed by quickly as they went through the forest. All around were beautiful flowers of every colour of the rainbow. There were bushes with berries which Noctis had never seen before. Noctis urged to taste every single one of them.

Hidden, deep in-between the trees, there were little bumps in the ground, with what appeared to be windows. Curious, Noctis approached one of such bumps. On his knees, Noctis lowered his face and looked inside the window. Inside the bump, he could see a tiny home, in which a tiny woman and man were sitting. They had wings which glittered in the light from the candle on the table. They looked out at Noctis, at first startled, but then they waved at him. Puzzled, Noctis kept looking at them, until he finally waved back.

_Those are forest fairies! They’re very nice people, but we don’t have time to get to know them now! We must hurry and find the Forest Gate, which I believe is your exit!_

Noctis got on his feet again, and brushed off most of the dirt he had gotten on his trousers. Returning to Carbuncle, they proceeded along the path they had originally followed.

When they finally reached the end of the path, they found a meadow. In the middle was a tree so big, it could almost reach the clouds above. In it, many birds were sitting on the branches. They were very colourful, and their chirping sounded more like chatter than singing. The grass was tall, reaching up to Noctis’ waist.

Investigating the vast tree more closely, Noctis realised that the lower branches of the tree almost formed a path to the crown above. Next to him, Carbuncle looked up at him. The phone buzzed.

_I will go find us something to eat. I saw how you looked at all the berries, so I thought we could eat those as a snack! I will be back soon!_

And with that, Carbuncle scattered off back the way they came.

 

At first, Noctis sat at the foot of the tree. But as time passed slowly, Noctis’ curiosity got the better of him, and he decided to attempt the ascent. Reaching for the first branch, Noctis could easily pull himself up. It was not very high up, and it did not bulge much under his weight. Steadily, Noctis pulled onto the next branch and looked up. It was still quite far to go, but on the branches above, the birds seemed to gather to observe Noctis’ journey up into their world high above the ground.

As Noctis slowly proceeded higher, the day had begun to come to an end. Looking down, Noctis began to feel dizzy; He was higher up than he had ever been before. Scared that he would fall, Noctis leaned up against the trunk of the tree. He sat down, one leg on either side of the branch.

A bird landed in front of him, and with its pearly black eyes, it looked at him with a tilted head. It had red feathers on most of its body and was no larger than an adult’s fist. Its tail feathers however were all the colours of the rainbow, and seemed to shift colours in the rays of the sun. Noctis reached his hand towards it, and the bird jumped backwards, away from Noctis.

“Don’t worry, I just want to say hi!” Noctis said, stopping his move towards the bird. Seemingly acknowledging his words, the bird slowly moved towards the hand. As it had reached him, the bird pushed its head gently towards Noctis’ hand, and the feathers tickled him slightly on the finger. Noctis giggled and smiled all over his face. Feeling a friendly connection, Noctis kept looking it in the eye.

“My name is Noctis!” He said, and the bird jumped onto his index finger. Its grip onto his finger was firm, and the claws poked slightly into his skin. Nevertheless, Noctis let it stay, and pulled his arm a bit closer to the rest of his body. Now level with his head, Noctis held up the bird. It kept looking at him in an interested way.

Suddenly, the bird flew away. Noctis looked after the bird, wondering why it had left him alone, but then he heard a swooping sound from his right. Turning his face towards the sound, he saw an enormous zu-like bird approach. Scared, Noctis attempted to descend from the branch he was on, but the bird caught up to him and grabbed his arm.

Screaming, Noctis pleaded for help, as he now hung in the bird’s claws. The zu itself was only a little smaller than an adult behemoth. Wishing that Carbuncle was there, Noctis looked down at the ground below him. What would he do now? The sun was setting, and the monsters would be out soon. On his right, Noctis could see a lit area. Looking more closely, it appeared to be torches that were lit around a doorway. Noctis remembered Carbuncle speaking of the exit from his Dreamworld, so maybe this was the place?

Only thing Noctis could do now, was hope that the flight was ending soon, and that he would be close enough to the gate to reach it before the monsters got to him.

 

After what felt like an endless flight, Noctis finally saw that they were descending into a nest high above ground. In it were empty eggshells. A loud choir of chirping could be heard from in-between the shells, and Noctis soon after found himself among a group of the zu’s chicks. They too, looked curiously at Noctis, and were almost the same size as Noctis. The mother zu looked down at Noctis, and started to peck at him. Dodging the pecks, Noctis almost fell out of the nest, hanging only from a loose branch underneath the nest. The chicks chirped even louder now.

The mother zu looked underneath the nest, looking for the food she would have given to her babies, only to find it hanging down. Reaching for Noctis, careful not to push him into a fall from the tree, she grabbed a hold of him. Wiggling, Noctis tried to get free from her grip and it worked. Soon, all sense of stability left Noctis, and he was in free fall. Scared, Noctis screamed, closing his eyes to prevent himself from seeing how close to impact he was, he found himself feeling hopeless. This was the end. He could feel the ground approaching, and…

Nothing.

Noctis opened his eyes, and he was hovering centimetres above ground. Looking above, he could not see the zu having grabbed hold of him again. He looked around, and suddenly he felt himself thumping down on the ground below. Still alive, Noctis got up, and looked at Carbuncle who was now standing in front of him.

_You need to be more careful Noctis! I only left for a short while, and you nearly got yourself killed!_

Noctis, relieved to just be alive, sat down. Carbuncle dropped some berries in his lap. Exhausted from the journey to near-death, Noctis munched the berries almost in one mouthful. They exploded in his mouth and left an incredible taste. They were fresh and sweet, tasting quite closely like raspberries, although much more delightful than that.

“What are these berries? They are delicious!” Noctis exclaimed.

_Ulwaat berries! They are a quite important component in most Tenebraean desserts!_

The two sat and ate berries in the twilight, not realising that they had not yet found shelter from the monsters that would soon come out. Realising this only too late, they found themselves surrounded by hounds. On their feet, Noctis and Carbuncle found themselves with no other alternative than to try and run. So they did. While running, Noctis recalled what he had seen earlier.

“Carbuncle,” Noctis said, panting. It looked up at Noctis. “I saw a gate earlier! I think I know what direction it was in!” Nodding, Carbuncle signalled for Noctis to lead the way.

Slaloming between the trees and rocks, sliding underneath fallen trees and jumping over roots on the ground, Noctis and Carbuncle fled for their lives, as the red-eyed hounds pursued them. The darkness of night had fallen over the forest like a thick cover, and it quite quickly became evident to Noctis that if they did not find the gate soon, they might not make it out alive. Carbuncle, realising the same, started to look for hiding places in which the hounds could not reach them.

However, just as it appeared that all hope for finding the gate was lost, a light could be in the distance. Filled with hope once again, Noctis gained a boost of energy and sped across the forest bed. Having finally reached the gate, Noctis went up to it and opened the door. A bright light came from inside. So bright, that he could not see what was waiting. Carbuncle stood beside him, and the hounds... Noctis turned around.

The hounds had stopped outside what seemed to be an invisible barrier, keeping Noctis and Carbuncle safe. Door, still open, Noctis turned to Carbuncle.

“Will you come with me?” Noctis asked the creature. Carbuncle shook its head.

_I can’t. Not like this anyway. We must go each our own way now!_

Noctis looked away from Carbuncle. Despite their short amount of time together, Noctis did not want to leave his new friend alone in this world where the beasts were looming around every corner, and where nobody would be safe. Noctis sat down on the ground in front of Carbuncle.

“I don’t want to leave you. You’re my friend!” Noctis said, voice shaking.

_You won’t be leaving me! I will always be there with you! You just won’t be able to see me, but I will be there, in your heart._

Noctis started crying. Recalling, Noctis always felt as though every time he began to cherish something in his life, it would leave him. Like his father had done when he was younger, to train the new soldiers.

_Noctis… I will be here, waiting for you in your dreams when you need me the most. I will never really leave you._

Wiping his eyes dry with its tail, Carbuncle stood at Noctis’ side, head brushing against his arm.

“I just don’t want to be alone anymore. I have no real friends back there…” Noctis said quietly.

_Ah, but you will get friends soon! Trust me, these friends will be good to you. They will cherish you and hold you dear, just as you will love and care about them! You already have Ignis…_

“Ignis is always busy with school. And he’s so different from me…”

_But he will be there for you when you need him. He will do anything to make sure you are well, to make sure you are happy and safe, just like your father will._

Rolling his thumbs, Noctis thought about Carbuncle’s words. Deep inside, Noctis knew these things. But then again, everyone he seemed to care about, were always too busy to be around Noctis when he wanted them to be. They were there only when he really needed them.

“I wish… I wish I could just stay here. The others… They don’t seem to want to be there more than they need to…” Noctis whispered, scared to say the things he had been feeling for long.

_They want to be there. They just need to make sure that they can keep you safe first. Everyone in your life cherishes you. They know how important you are. And in time, you will know, too._

Looking out at the monsters urging to get inside the barriers, Noctis hesitated to leave. Carbuncle touched Noctis’ hand with its paw, and Noctis was shot back in time.

Standing inside his room in the Citadel, Noctis looked at himself sleeping. Outside, the moon was lighting up the sky, and the Crown City was fast asleep. Looking at the clock in his room, Noctis could see that it was far past 1 in the night. His father, having just entered his room, seemed not to notice Noctis standing in the corner of the room. He sat down on the bed, just beside the sleeping Noctis, and placed a figurine on his bedside table. It was a white figure, a few inches tall, and it had pointed ears and a long, fluffy tail. Now, Noctis finally realised wherefrom he had remembered Carbuncle. His father spoke in a low voice, the depth of it warming Noctis from the inside.

“This one will protect you through your darkest dreams. But remember, Noct. In the world of your dreams, you are King.”

Shaken back to present time, Noctis could feel something powerful flow through him. Looking in Carbuncle’s eyes, he could see that he was no longer his eight-year-old self. He seemed older, although not knowing how much older.

_You will do many remarkable things Noctis. Everyone believes in you. But you don’t belong in this world._

A loud hammering came from above. Now, a giant was hammering its sword down towards Carbuncle and Noctis, and a loud cracking sound could be heard. Not knowing how much longer the invisible barrier could protect the two, Carbuncle pushed Noctis towards the doorway.

_I know you have many questions, but they will be answered in time. You must go now. Back to your real world._

Hesitantly, Noctis stood up from the ground. With many things still to say to Carbuncle, Noctis decided to swallow his words and turned towards the door. The bright lights burning his eyes, Noctis turned around to look at his furry friend one last time. Nodding at him, Carbuncle signalled that it was time. Taking a deep breath, Noctis went through the door, and the light swallowed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I KNOW that I changed a lot of things from how the Platinum Demo is made, but going through it several times, I decided to stick to the forest theme. There IS a limit to how interesting you can write combat scenes, and an entire chapter of just combat with monsters is a bit meh. So this chapter is not so much compliant with the Plat. Demo, but instead probably more inspired by it. 
> 
> I will try to update my fanfics more often in the time to come, seeing that I'm moving out and will spend less time commuting, as well as quitting my job soon for the aforementioned reason.


	4. Tenebrae

A bright light shone in Noctis’ face as he came to. Beside him sat a tall, dark figure, whom he could not recognise with the bright light forcing his eyes shut again. He could hear a steady beeping sound, which, after a couple seconds, he recognised as his own heartbeat being repeated by a heart monitor. The dark figure stood up, and went over to the window. A swoosh sounded, and the light got shut out of the room, allowing Noctis to see more clearly.

The room he was in was entirely white. A painting was to be seen on the wall, but aside from this, all furniture, floors and walls, were painted white. To his right was the heart monitor, and several IV-drops that were attached to Noctis’ right arm through several tubes. To his left was a table, on which he found a lamp and a small figurine. It was the Carbuncle, and next to it, a tall vase with blue, long-stalked flowers.

Now, able to see, Noctis recognised the dark figure that had sat by his side as he woke up. It was his father. Smiling at him, Regis sat down on the bed next to Noctis again. The soft covers tightened slightly around Noctis as his father sat on them. Noctis saw that his father appeared a lot more tired than he remembered, evidence lying in his father’s skin being paler than normal, and the circles underneath his eyes far darker than they had used to be. His cheekbones also stood out far more. One could easily have thought Regis had fallen ill, however, the uncertainty of his son’s survival had kept Regis from eating and sleeping. He had even let his Royal Advisors do the most part of his job for the past weeks as he was attending to his son in Tenebrae.

“Welcome back, my son,” Regis said as he laid a hand on his son’s chest. Noctis put his hand on top of his father’s, and the warmth of his touch radiated through Noctis’ hand. Along with it, spread happiness to be with his father again.

“What… happened?” Noctis asked. Regis took a deep breath and looked away from his son, waiting a moment to answer, trying to put together an explanation that would be easy for the young boy to understand.

“You were attacked. I should have been with you, but I wasn’t. Had I come moments later…” Sadness filled Regis by the thought of almost having lost his son. Still holding Noctis’ hand, Regis tightened his grip, and along with it, got a bit better hold of himself. Looking at Noctis again, he smiled a pained smile.

“I brought you to Tenebrae; When you have rested, I have someone that I want to introduce you to,” Regis said with an attempted excitement in his voice. Mostly, he was just relieved to see his son alive and well. Now that he was out of his coma, Regis could finally get some rest.

“Dad?” Noctis asked. Regis looking at him, Noctis saw his fit to continue with his inquiry. “Thank you for bringing Carbuncle here. It protected me from the monsters that kept me from waking up.” Regis chewed a bit on Noctis words, until he finally responded to his son’s words.

“Monsters?” Regis finally asked, worried what his son would say next. Noctis sat up in his bed, excitement growing in his face, ready to tell his father of his adventures in the Dream World alongside his companion.

“Yes! I woke up in a forest, and Carbuncle was there! And… And, he showed me how to leave the dream world! And there was this enormous zu that took me to its nest, and there were these hounds with red, glowing eyes that tried to attack us, but suddenly I had the sword you gave me for my birthday and I made them run away, and…” Exploding with eagerness to tell his father what he had experienced with Carbuncle, Noctis made many gestures with his arms, almost ripping out the IV from his hand.

“Careful now, Noct. You wouldn’t want to pull out the needles,” Regis said in a warm voice, very well hiding the concern that was now growing inside of him like a tumour, “I think maybe you should get some sleep, I have some business to attend to, and then, afterwards, I have a dessert you need to taste,” Regis said as he stood up from Noctis’ bed, patting his son’s hand, as it laid between the two of his own. Noctis yawned, and quite quickly he closed his eyes, his entire body relaxing. As he dozed off, Regis left the room, quietly closing the door behind him.

In the hallway, Ignis was sitting, waiting for Regis to leave the room. As he closed the door, Ignis sprung up from his chair, and pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose, as they had slid down slightly in his excited jump.

“Anything, your Highness?” Ignis asked, voice firm and composed, tone a bit worried. Regis, started walking along the hallway, his hands in the trouser pockets.

“Yes, he has woken up, but I am a bit worried…” Regis thought aloud. Ignis’ level of maturity made it easy for Regis to forget that he was still just a child, 10 years of age. He often had to remind himself that children should not know everything, as they tend to be more easily affected by whatever they were told. Particularly when it came to bad news. However, Regis also knew deep inside, that Ignis had just as much concern for Noctis as he had, and as Noctis’ advisor, Regis felt that it was important for him to know how he was doing. Even if there were bad sides to it. Even if he was just a child.

“What about?” Ignis asked. Regis looked down at the boy. Only ten years of age, and Ignis had already grown rather tall. As always, he dressed in formal attire, taking his position as Noctis’ advisor seriously, always displaying an incredible amount of self-control.

“I probably shouldn’t tell you this…” Regis began, coming to a halt in the middle of the hallway, “but Noctis told me, that during his coma, he had been kept from waking up by some ‘hounds, with red, glowing eyes’.” Ignis, folding his arms across his chest, shifting on his feet, looked up at the King.

“And you are fearing that the Marilith has infected Noctis with the daemonic plague?” Ignis asked, almost taking the words out of Regis’ mouth. Afraid of affirming that his thoughts had gone along those exact ideas, Regis looked away from the boy. “Well, it is not entirely impossible that this would be the case. Have you thought about consulting with the Oracle?” Regis nodded.

“That is where I am headed now.” Regis replied, still looking towards the exit at the end of the hallway. Ignis nodded, once again pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose.

“I shall remain seated here, in case someone comes,” Ignis said. Regis had not brought along much security, as very few knew where he and his son had disappeared to. Ignis turned around and went back to the chair outside of the door to Noctis’ room, and Regis was left standing alone. After a moment of hesitation, Regis brushed his cape behind him, and left the hospital-wing, heading towards Fenestala Manor.

Outside, a slight breeze was in the air, brushing lightly against Regis’ cape as he walked along the path through Tenebrae. Located high in the mountains, Fenestala Manor was the home of the Tenebraean royalty, the Nox Fleurets. The current Oracle, Sylva Nox Fleuret, was a strong and determinant Queen, loved by her people. So much in fact, that even the Empire respected her duty as Oracle, and in spite of their long standing control over the Kingdom, they had at no point dared to settle troops in the cities.

The Queen’s hair was blonde, and her eyes quite closely bore the same colour as the flowers dominating the Tenebraean art culture: Sylleblossoms. Her daughter, Lunafreya, had brought a bouquet for Noctis, which Regis had placed beside his Carbuncle totem in a vase, hoping that they would bring him speedy recovery.

Fenestala Manor overlooked Ulwaat city, which in itself was a sight for sore eyes. Waterfalls flowed from the mountains surrounding the city, and trees were blooming all around. Whereas Insomnia, the Crown City, was very urban, the entire Kingdom of Tenebrae kept in touch with nature. It had less protective forces than the Crown City. However, for as long as the Kingdom had existed, it had been greatly respected by all nations, due to its royalty being in such close connection with the Astrals, as well as the very nature of the Oracles to be welcoming of all humankind.

Deep-in-thought, Regis had reached the Manor. Having received an open invitation to come and go as he pleased, Regis went inside, hand resting on the golden handle momentarily, before he pushed it down and went inside. As Regis went through the door, he had entered a vast hallway, with a staircase in the middle of the room. The walls were painted blue, and the floor was of white marble. The railing of the stairs was covered with golden paint, and from the ceiling above hung a beautiful golden chandelier. Along the walls were small tables, on which vases with Sylleblossoms were kept, as well as family photographs in wooden frames.  

Uncertain of where to go, Regis stood still right inside of the door, and kept looking around, admiring the vibrant colours of the room. From upstairs, he could hear the faint sound of a piano. Slowly, Regis followed the sound of music, and inside a room, at the far end of the corridor to the right of the staircase, he found Lunafreya sitting by a grand, white piano. From the doorway, Regis stood and admired the girl, as her fingers moved effortlessly over the keys, almost as though dancing. The sunlight fell on her, making the small rhinestones on her dress’ left shoulder shimmer. The room was not very big, and aside from the piano there was very little furniture; only a small sofa with a dark wooden frame and blue fabric. The walls were painted blue, as with the rest of the Manor, and the floor was of oaken wood. The music Lunafreya was playing was slow, and stuck to the higher notes. Regis had rarely ever heard music, and when he did, it was never anything like this. It was peaceful, mellow and laden with emotion.

Beside Lunafreya, two dogs were sleeping. One with dark fur, and another that was snow-white. They looked at peace, although their ears were raised in the air, appearing as though they were listening to the music in their sleep. Regis closed his eyes and let the music fill his ears, and for a second, he had forgotten the reason he had come to the Manor in the first place. As the music came to a halt, Regis opened his eyes again, and Lunafreya was looking at him from her seat by the piano.

“Oh, Your Highness… I had not realised you were here,” she said and stood up quickly and bowed for him. Her hair was about shoulder-length, so light-blonde it was borderline white. She wore a white dress and matching shoes. Her bright blue eyes were locked onto him, an incredible amount of emotional strength reflected.

“Just call me Regis,” he replied, and shifted on his feet. Now, recalling what he had come for, his expression changed. Almost as though she had read his mind, Lunafreya walked over to him, and the dogs followed.

“Mother is outside in the gardens. Come, I will show you,” Lunafreya said and took Regis’ hand in hers. Her hands were chill, and incredibly small in his. Lunafreya, walking ahead of Regis, showed him the way through their Manor. It was a grand place, although not quite as large as the Citadel, and its design was vastly different from what Regis was used to seeing. There were many decorations, flowers and paintings all around, and a lot of the space in the rooms was occupied by furniture, unlike the usual interior design of Crown City space, which was kept dark and to a minimum.

From the living room, Lunafreya showed Regis through a set of French doors and out onto the porch, which overlooked their private gardens. It was beautiful. In the middle was a small pond, in which fish were swimming around peacefully. A couple frogs were even sunbathing on some of the stones. Lunafreya’s two dogs ran outside in the gardens and vanished from sight, and far ahead, Regis could see the Queen’s beautiful crystal crown shimmer in the sunlight.

“Mother, King Regis is here to see you,” Lunafreya said as she approached her mother. Queen Sylva’s eyes were closed. Scared that he had interrupted her prayers, Regis hesitated to move closer, but Lunafreya waved her hand at him, signalling for him to come closer.

“Ah, Your Highness, welcome to Fenestala Manor!” Queen Sylva said as she opened her eyes, her blue eyes looking deep into Regis’, and almost went straight through him.

“Your Majesty,” Regis replied, kissing her hand lightly. She gestured for him to sit beside her on the bench. He sat down, and looked ahead and out over Ulwaat. It was a beautiful day, the sunlight shimmering in the windows of the many homes of the Tenebraean citizens. It was the perfect place for a King or Queen to watch over his or her people.

“How is your son?” Sylva asked, pouring a cup of tea for Regis. Its sweet smell hit Regis’ nose. It smelled like a combination of flowers and herbs which Regis had never smelled before, yet it was so tempting that he did not hesitate to bring the cup to his lips and taste the hot liquid. It warmed him from inside, and the sweet taste filled him with a sensation of content he had not felt for long.

“He has woken up…” Regis began, wrinkles now appearing across his forehead, as he started to think of Noctis’ monsters.

“Ah, but I see something troubles you?” Sylva said as she took another sip. Regis looked down at the cup in his hands. Like most of the other things in the Nox Fleuret residence, the cups stuck to a theme of blue, white and gold, and the Sylleblossoms being key to the decorations.

“He…” Regis started, yet his tongue seemed to fail him. He took a deep breath, and finally found some courage to continue. “He spoke of daemons having kept him from waking up from his coma…” With these words, Sylva put down her cup on the table in front of them and stood up from the bench. She went over to the hedge that separated the gardens from the mountain side.

“And you are worried that the Plague may be involved?” She asked. Regis nodded and kept staring at the tea. Sylva turned around and closed her eyes in the sun, enjoying the warming rays on her skin.

“I understand why you are worried; With the amount of experiments the Empire is conducting, we have all the more reason to be more careful these days,” She said, eyes still closed. “The Empire sits tight on any information there is about the Plague which is _rumoured_ to be wreaking havoc in Gralea. However, they are mere rumours and may just as well be Noctis’ subconscious trying to grasp the events of _that_ night, Regis.” Regis caught himself staring blankly at his tea, which he instantly took a sip of.

“If you want, I can come and pray with you? It may give you both some more peace.”

“I would very much appreciate that, Your Grace,” Regis spoke, voice still filled with concern. The Oracle came over to Regis and sat down on her knees in front of him.

“How are _you_ holding up, Regis? You look… terrible…”

“Lucis is on the brink of civil rebellion with the looming threat of a Niflheim invasion, whilst I’m sitting here trying to help my son… fend for his life…” Regis’ voice cracked. Sylva took his hands, and they started glowing bright. Putting her hands to his temples, she closed her eyes and prayed for Regis.

A sense of calm grew from Regis’ temples, and filled him into the deepest corners of his body. All worry and concern for his son seemed to leave his body, and replaced instead by hope. Hope, that his son would be alright, and that soon, they could return to the Crown City and move on. The images of Noctis’ weak body in his own arms, soon came a little more unclear to Regis.

“Thank you, Your Grace,” Regis said, and the Oracle smiled back at him.

“Now, let us enjoy our tea, before we move on with our agenda for today, shall we? That way, you may also be able to get a little sleep and food in,” She said as she sat back down on the bench. As she grabbed her cup of tea, she looked down at it, slightly displeased. Grabbing for the teapot, she mumbled something about her tea having gone cold, but as she mixed the old with new tea, steam slowly began to rise from her cup, and once again she was smiling. The two sat in quiet and looked out over Ulwaat, Regis finally feeling like he could breathe a little clearer.

 

Later that afternoon, King Regis and Queen Sylva of Tenebrae went to visit Noctis in the hospital-wing. Ignis followed along this time, eager to see his friend. Staying true to his King, Ignis had by no means gone inside Noctis’ room to disturb him, no matter how tempting it had been. To Ignis, it had become evident that his desires should by no means compromise the safety and integrity of his King, or in this case Prince. Therefore Ignis had sat outside the whole afternoon and read in his book, getting some coursework done.

As the Queen, his father and friend entered Noctis’ room, Noctis woke up from his slumber. Only, he did not recognise the woman standing before him. His father came up to him first.

“Noctis, I want you to meet Queen Sylva of Tenebrae, the Oracle,” He said and extended his hand out towards her. Sitting up again, Noctis extended a hand towards her, admiring the beautiful crown on her head, and the peculiar collar of her garments that looked quite a lot like the flowers on his bedside table.

“It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Prince Noctis,” Sylva said as she took his hand in hers, and smiled such a broad smile, that her eyes almost closed. Small wrinkles took shape at the corners of her eyes. Finally, Noctis’ father moved, and he saw Ignis standing in the door, looking at him from a distance.

“Ignis!” Noctis exclaimed. Ignis walked closer, trying to hide his equal excitement. As Ignis reached Noctis’ bed, Noctis swung his arms around his friend and embraced him tightly. Ignis slowly put his arms around Noctis’ torso, and the two shared a hug, until Noctis’ father cleared his throat. Ignis took a step backwards, and sat down in the chair on the right side of Noctis’ bed, beside the window.

“Your father has told me that you fought some monsters in your Dream World,” Sylva explained. Noctis nodded, a hint of pride in his face. Looking at Ignis, making sure that he heard what was being said, he realised that Ignis too, looked a bit worried. Now, Noctis’ pride was replaced with a sense of disappointment. Why was he the only one who seemed to find it cool?

“Would you mind if I said a prayer for you, Noctis?” Sylva asked. Noctis looked at his father, who nodded slowly, Noctis looked at Sylva and did the same. She took his hands in hers, and a bright light appeared from underneath Noctis’ hands. Eyes wide open, Noctis stared at her hands. He had never seen anything like it. Even Ignis moved a bit forward in his chair.

She put her hands on Noctis’ temples, and closed her eyes. Uncertain if he should do the same, Noctis followed along, in hopes that he would not do anything wrong. Sylva began to speak.

“Blessed stars of life and light, deliver us from darkness’ blight. Protect us from all harm akin, purge us from the evil within.” She spoke under her breath.

A violent headache emerged from deep inside Noctis’ skull, and by the second it grew more intense. Noctis began crying, putting his hands to his head. Regis, scared, grabbed his son’s arm and looked at him.

“Noctis! What’s happening?” He bellowed. Sylva had moved a bit further away from Noctis, not looking scared, nor comfortable. Ignis looked at her with a furious expression.

“What did you do to him?!” Ignis roared at her. She looked at Ignis, and in a calm voice, she responded.

“I have done nothing but attempt to cleanse him. However, it is rooted further inside him than I had thought…” She contemplated. Noctis, still crying and screaming, and the sound of his heart monitor filled the room with rapid beeping. Regis, still holding his son against his chest, was scared more than he had ever been before. Had his own son really been infected? And if so, what about everyone else he had been around?

Suddenly, Noctis’ cries and screaming were replaced by an intense silence. All sound but the now steady heart monitor had been muted. Regis slowly backed away from his son, who was now sitting up, unsupported, looking down at his duvet-covered legs. Regis put a hand on his son’s shoulder, and lifted his chin.

“Noctis…?” He asked quietly, but what he saw in his son’s face was foreign to him. While everything else about Noctis’ face was normal, his eyes were completely black, and something dark came oozing from his eyes. Looking emptily at his father, Noctis seemed to have vanished for a second. Then, almost as quickly as it had come, it was gone again.

“Noctis?” Queen Sylva asked carefully. Noctis looked at her.

“Mhm?” He responded in an exhausted voice. Everyone held their breath.

“How are you feeling?”

“Tired, but better…” Noctis said as he yawned, and struggled to keep his eyes open. The people around him sighed, and their bodies relaxed from all the tension they had endured in the past few minutes. Regis patted his son on his sweaty forehead.

“Get some sleep son, tomorrow, I will show you Tenebrae,” Regis said, and signalled for Sylva and Ignis to leave Noctis’ side. Noctis nodded sleepily, and the three left the room and Noctis behind.

 

Sitting down in the room next door, Sylva, Ignis and Regis had sat down. Alongside them was Titus Drautos, the captain of the Kingsglaive, and protector of King Regis. Nobody dared say anything for a long while. Neither Regis, nor anyone else in Lucis for that matter, knew much of the experiments which Niflheim had conducted for many years; only that people had started to vanish, and the population of daemons all over Eos was slowly increasing. Whether there was a connection, Regis was unsure. Within the Crown City, Daemons never appeared, due to the protection of both the New and Old Wall, as well as the Light of the Crystal. In the provinces, the Oracle put her blessings on the havens and larger cities, likewise protecting the citizens. Hence, the need for knowledge about daemons was little, thus never investigated into. Perhaps that had been a mistake.

Regis stood up from his chair and went over to the vast window lighting up the room. It was a break room for the nurses and doctors working in this hospital wing, and it looked a lot less clinical than the rest of the wing. The floors were of hardwood, and on the walls were several paintings, along with one lightboard for reading x-rays.

The thought of Niflheim having targeted his son’s convoy enraged Regis. The two nations had been in heavy conflict for long already, and rarely had battles turned in Lucian favour. Niflheim was a strong nation, their military technology far more advanced than any other nation on Eos. The last clash between the two nations had forced his father, King Mors Lucis Caelum, to dissolve the Lucian Army and create the Crownsguard, which only functioned as a counter-measure to potential attacks; Never before had Niflheim targeted royalty directly, even if they had had the chance.  

“Niflheim has overstepped their boundaries this time…” Regis whispered, almost inaudible. He turned around and looked at his company. He lifted his left hand, index finger extended, and on the neighbouring finger, he bore the Ring of the Lucii. Its crystal shimmered in the light.  

“I swear, that regardless what it takes, we will defeat Niflheim. They have to pay for what they have done… the suffering they have caused. To their own people, and to ours.” Regis spoke, more clearly, voice raised. Drautos leaned forward in his chair.

“But, all due respect your Majesty… They are far stronger than we are…” Drautos said cautiously.

“I know that!” Regis roared, almost spitting on the table. This startled Drautos. Regis looked down at the floor and took a deep breath to regain his composure.

“But if we do nothing, the suffering will be endless, and we will lose this war!” Regis said. “What we need, is to outsmart them. We need… We need time.” Drautos stood up from his chair and walked over to his King. He put a hand on Regis’ shoulder.

“Your Majesty, firstly you need to be with your son, and make sure he recovers well; He needs you.” Regis looked back at him. Emotionally drained, Regis let out a groan. He was tired, and more than anything, he wished to return to his royal duties as King, and for his son to recover. Wanting revenge, Regis’ judgment was blurred, and more than anything he too, needed time to recover.

“You need rest, your Highness. After that, we can start to talk business. But not until then.” Drautos said and led Regis back to his chair, which he dropped back into. Both Queen Sylva and Ignis had been quiet the entire time.

 

The following day, Regis felt more refreshed, after having gotten a night’s undisturbed rest. Noctis was ready to get out of bed. However, his body was still weakened because of the long time he had been in a coma. As a result, Noctis was put in a wheelchair to help him get around. Once every day, Noctis would receive some physical therapy, to reactivate his muscles.

Leaving the hospital wing, Regis pushed his son towards Fenestala Manor. As promised, Regis would introduce Noctis to someone, that being Lunafreya, whom he hoped he would like. After all, she would become the reigning Oracle around the time in which Noctis would claim the throne.

“It feels so good to be outside again!” Noctis exclaimed as the fresh air hit him. Regis chuckled and kept pushing his son forward. Eager to see whomever he was about to meet, Noctis could barely sit still. To Noctis, it felt like an endless walk up to the Manor, despite it only being a few hundred metres. As had been the case for almost their entire stay in Tenebrae, the sun was shining brightly and there were barely any clouds to see.

As the two approached Fenestala Manor, Noctis could see a girl standing beside Queen Silva outside of the main entrance. The girl waved at Noctis, smiling, flashing her teeth. Noctis waved back at her and afterwards looked up at his father.

“Is that who I’m going to meet?” Noctis asked eagerly. Regis nodded.

“That, my son, is Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, Princess of Tenebrae.” He responded. Noctis looked at the girl again, and now within range of hearing, Queen Sylva walked towards them with opened arms.

“Welcome to Fenestala Manor, Prince Noctis. How are you feeling today?” She asked, taking his hands in hers.

“Much better, thanks,” Noctis said, more interested in seeing the girl who was approaching him from behind the Queen. Seeing this, Queen Sylva chuckled and stepped a bit to the side so that Lunafreya was standing before Noctis, Sylva let go of Noctis’ hands and put them on Lunafreya’s shoulders instead.

“This, Noctis, is my daughter, Lunafreya,” She said and gently pushed Lunafreya closer to Nocits. Happily, she took Noctis’ hands and shook them eagerly.

“It is a pleasure to finally meet you,” she said, in a sweet voice, that made it sound almost as though she was singing. The way she spoke, she sounded different from people from Lucis. Frankly, she quite reminded him of Ignis. She was a beautiful girl, Noctis had to admit, and her approach towards him made him feel welcome. Queen Sylva moved towards the entrance, and the three followed after.

“The two of you can go to Luna’s room and get to know each other. I have some things which I need to speak to your father about,” Sylva said, gesturing for Regis to follow her. Noctis looked at his father, slightly nervous about being left alone with Lunafreya. He sat down next to Noctis and whispered to him.

“Don’t be nervous, she is a very sweet girl. I am confident that the two of you will have fun!” He said and clapped his son on the shoulder a couple of times before standing up again. Following Queen Sylva, Regis walked into a larger room up ahead, and Lunafreya and Noctis were now alone.

“Let’s go upstairs,” Lunafreya said and held her hand towards Noctis. Looking down at his legs, Noctis considered if it would be a good idea after all. Lunafreya saw this, and she smiled widely.

“I will help you!” She said, and took hold of both of Noctis’ hands, pulling him up. Unsteady on his feet, Noctis felt as though he was about to fall over. Lunafreya grabbed him around the waist, and the two slowly walked up the stairs. A servant appeared and took the wheelchair and carried it upstairs, while Lunafreya’s small hands were gently pushing Noctis forward.

“One step at a time!” She said cheerfully. With every step, Noctis seemed to get a bit steadier, but when they finally reached the top, he was incredibly exhausted. His legs could carry him, but only for short periods of time it seemed. Lunafreya pushed him towards the corridor to the left of the staircase, and through a door halfway down the corridor.

Behind the door was a vast room with large windows, which overlooked the Gardens and Ulwaat City. By each window, a set of heavy, deep blue curtains were hanging ready to shut out the light. They had golden fringes, and a golden band which held them in place. On the walls were paintings, mostly of what seemed to be divine creatures. By the window, a set of chairs framed with dark wood with blue cushions were situated, in-between a table of the same type of wood. Finally, in the middle of the room was a large bed, once again framed with dark wood, and white and blue bed sheets. Over the bed hung a white cover, which could be pulled around the bed to ensure some privacy. The room looked very little like the room of a young girl; It had no toys, unlike Noctis’ room at home in Insomnia.

Lunafreya pushed Noctis’ wheelchair over to the bed, and she helped transfer him from the chair to the bed. She then moved it to the corner of her room, to then finally sit beside him on the bed. She looked at Noctis, who was too shy to look back at her. In silence, the two sat for a minute, considering each other, until Noctis finally said something.

“So… You will be an Oracle one day?” He said nervously, unsure of what else to ask her. She leaned back on her arms on the bed, still looking at Noctis.

“Yes, just like you one day will be King!” She answered cheerfully. Knowing very little of what an Oracle did, Noctis leaned back so he was lying beside her again.

“But… What does an Oracle do?”

“An Oracle is charged with communing with the Astrals on behalf of mankind. We help people who are ill, and we help protect against danger through prayers and blessings,” Lunafreya explained. “In ancient times, the First Oracle was gifted her powers from the Astral of Light, to speak with the Gods for mankind, and to aid in protecting the Crystal.” Noctis considered her words for a moment.

“Wait, so the Crystal came from the Gods?” Lunafreya took out a book from underneath her bed. It was a blue book, not very thick, and it had the words “Cosmogony” on its cover. Underneath the text was a drawing of a winged man, who handed a crystal to another man, who seemed to be a King of sorts. The winged man was dressed all in black, his attire seemed as though an armour. The King seemed dressed down in comparison, covered by a white cape, his black hair flowing down between his shoulders.  A bit into the background, a woman holding a trident could be seen. She was wearing a white dress, and in her left hand, she held a large bouquet of blue flowers.

“Yes. The Crystal was gifted to mankind, that we might know lasting prosperity.” She said, as she looked at the cover of the book. Noctis looked down at it, considering what he saw.

“But… If the Crystal belongs to everyone, how come only Lucis gets to use it?” He wondered, thinking back to how his father appeared to be the only person he could think of, who knew how to wield its power. Lunafreya put her hands in her lap and looked out of the windows as she spoke.

“The Kings of Lucis do not simply use its power, they also protect it.”

“Wait, so my dad is guarding it?” Lunafreya nodded, smiling. Noctis put his hands to his head and laid down on his back, astonished.

“I had no idea!” he exclaimed, looking up at the ceiling. Lunafreya laid down beside him, her left hand supporting her head, so that she could still look at Noctis. She chuckled, as she realised he was still trying to process what she had just told him. Now, things started to make a lot more sense to Noctis. That is why his father had fought so hard to protect Insomnia from the outsiders. That is why there are certain parts of the Citadel which nobody, but his father, had access to.

“But what is the Crystal for then? Why is it so important, that we must protect it?” Noctis asked Lunafreya.

“To crown the King of Light is the calling of the Crystal. And to keep the Crystal safe, until that day, falls on the Line of Lucis.” Noctis considered her words; One day, a King of Lucis would be chosen by the Crystal.

“Who is the King of Light? What does he do?” Noctis asked. She took a deep breath before she responded.

“Well, only the True King, anointed by the Crystal, can purge our Star of its Scourge.” She said, making small gestures with her hands. Noctis could tell, that Lunafreya had really studied the history of their planet.

“But who is the Chosen?” Noctis asked, “Has the True King been chosen yet?” Lunafreya nodded, looking a bit more intensely at Noctis. He seemed to get the gist of what she meant.

“Me?” he asked, and she nodded again. Flabbergasted, Noctis laid down again. “You really think I can do that? I’m not even King yet…”

“As Oracle, I shall see to it,” She said, and held Noctis’s hand, as though vowing to him, that she would do whatever it required. “To aid the King, is the Oracle’s calling. And one day, you will be King, and when the time comes, you will acquire the full power of the Crystal, and save our world.” Noctis considered it for a moment, looking out at the blue sky. He pulled his hand to himself again, and looked down at it, playing around with his fingers. Still a bit unsure as to what his duty as the Chosen King was, and even unsure as to how Lunafreya could know this, when he had never even been near the Crystal, Noctis looked at her again.

“Then… I guess I can do it. I won’t let you down!” Noctis said determinately. Lunafreya gave him a sense of security and knowing that it would be her duty as Oracle to assist him, he felt happy that they could talk so easily with each other.

“I know you won’t,” Lunafreya said, smiling. As she had finished, the door behind them opened, and in came one of Lunafreya’s servants.

“Prince, Princess, there are refreshments waiting for you downstairs,” he said as he bowed for them. Lunafreya nodded and dismissed him, and she got up from the bed. She took the book in her hands and extended it towards Noctis.

“Here, you can borrow this. Then, you can get to know some more of the history of Eos and the Astrals,” She said and smiled, handing it to Noctis.

 

After a bit of a struggle, Lunafreya had helped Noctis downstairs, so they could join their parents in the dining room. Each at their own end sat their parents, and in between them, two seats for Noctis and Lunafreya were ready. The table was filled with all sorts of food which Noctis had never tasted before; a large flank of meat, surrounded by prepared vegetables, bowls with all kinds of sauces and salads, and in the very middle of the table towered an arrangement with small cakes which smelled incredible. Sitting down, Noctis was eager to try the cakes, but as he reached for one, he caught glimpse of his father who had cleared his throat and gave him a stern look. Noctis pulled his hand back down underneath the table.

Lunafreya reached for the salad, and most of her plate was filled with vegetables, and only very little meat. It was the direct opposite on Noctis’ plate; all the meat he could take without his father’s disapproving stare in his direction, leaving only a small room for vegetables on his plate. In silence, the four sat and ate. Both the Queen and King sat and considered each other, without ever getting eyecontact, meanwhile the Prince and Princess sat and smiled and giggled at each other, looking through the small gaps in between the cakes. Every now and then, Noctis would make a funny face at Lunafreya, when she grabbed a mouthful of salad.

Having finished his plate of food, the salad left completely untouched, a servant took his plate. Now, Noctis could finally reach for the cakes, without his father’s disapproving glare. In his hand, it felt soft, and the white sugar stuck to his fingers. As Noctis took a bite, a familiar sweet, and slightly sour, taste exploded in his mouth, and combined with the pastry, it made for the best dessert Noctis had ever tasted.

“So, Noctis, are you looking forward to returning to Insomnia?” Queen Sylva asked, as she cut a small piece of the cake with her fork. Noctis, already on his fifth cake, swallowed his bite and put the cake down on his plate.

“I like it better here; the food is better!” Noctis said, looking down at the cake. Both his father and Queen Sylva chuckled. Noctis looked at his father. “Maybe we can get the recipe and teach the cook how to make this?!”

“Before you leave, I will ensure that the cook writes it down for you,” Queen Sylva said. And with this, the four of them finished their cakes. Noctis wrapped a couple of cakes in his napkin and put them in his pocket. As they got up from their chairs, and Noctis was back in the wheelchair, Lunafreya came over and whispered in Noctis’ ear.

“I have something I want to show you!” and she started to push his wheelchair towards the main entrance of the Manor. Outside, the sun had started to set over the horizon, visible in between the floating mountains of Tenebrae. Lunafreya pushed Noctis around the right side of the Manor, and down a path, which led toward vast fields. The grass was tall, and the field was filled with Sylleblossoms. From behind, Noctis could hear dogs playing. He looked over his shoulder, past Lunafreya, and saw a snow-white dog, and a dark-furred dog play in the tall grass. Lunafreya caught his glimpse.

“That is Umbra and Pryna, my two dogs,” she said and stopped pushing. They came over to Noctis and looked at him, almost as though expecting something. Noctis patted the two, and they clearly enjoyed the attention. Unable to see where they had stopped, Noctis looked at Lunafreya.

“Where are we?” He asked. Lunafreya walked around, her hands moving through the strands of grass.

“The fields behind our Manor. I come here every time I need to think, to be myself.” She said. She looked up at the sky, the few clouds were glowing pink in the last rays of the sun. “Sometimes, I need to get away from everyone else, all the expectations they have of me.” Noctis nodded, he understood how she felt. He had the same sense of calm every time he was in the Regalia, and it was the only place in which he could sleep well. When he was smaller, his father would always take him for a drive in the evening; The sound of the low motor humming, helped calm Noctis’ mind and lull him to sleep.

“Luna…?” Noctis asked. Still eyes closed, she let out a sound to signal that she was listening.

“How did you know… That I’m the Chosen King?” Noctis asked carefully. Lunafreya looked at him.

“Well… As I said, Oracles can speak to the Gods when necessary. The Gods speak to mankind through their Messengers, and my family has been granted the blessing of the presence of such a Messenger, ever since I was born,” Lunafreya explained. Noctis said nothing in response, as everything in relation to the Gods of Eos was still very new to him. He had never learned about this from his father, and so he didn’t know what to ask about them.

“It is nothing you need to worry about now,” Lunafreya said, sensing that Noctis had become a little confused by all the things she had told him today. “We have a bit of time before you have to return to Insomnia, I can tell you more, should you so wish.”

 

In the following days, Noctis and Lunafreya spent many hours together, as his father and Queen Sylva were working. Rarely had Noctis ever had so much fun, and he felt as though he and Lunafreya were becoming great friends.

One afternoon, Noctis had been left to himself in Lunafreya’s room, as she had some things she needed to attend to. Meanwhile, Noctis had attempted to read in the book which Lunafreya had lent him, yet he found it a lot more difficult to understand, than when Lunafreya explained its contents to him. As a result, he had fallen asleep in his wheelchair. Some time after, he had woken up as a ray of sunshine shone in his face, and soon after he found that he was no longer alone in the room.

In front of him, in one of the armchairs by the round table, Noctis saw a woman with dark hair. Her eyes were closed, and she wore something which looked a white shawl over her shoulders, and a long, heavy kimono of sorts over her body. Her face was turned towards Noctis, but her eyes were kept shut.

“Ah, the young prince is recovering well,” She said as she stood up from the chair. She spoke with a slight accent, not like that of Lunafreya and her mother.

“Gentiana, a Messenger,” she said, answering his unspoken question. Her hands were folded in front of her abdomen. Noctis kept looking at her, closing the book which was still lying open in his lap. He looked down at it, reminded about it as his left hand stopped supporting his head, and instead fell on top of the book.

“The prince has read of our kind?” she asked. Noctis kept trying to remember anything which Lunafreya had told him about the Messengers of the Gods.

“I tried to, but I only know what Luna told me,” he answered, holding up the book. Gentiana nodded, her red lips curling into a smile.

“Lady Lunafreya,” She said in a gentle voice, “It is heartening to see that the future King and the Oracle enjoy such familiarity. The fate of our world may depend on it.” And with these words, she opened her eyes for the first time, and Noctis was astonished by the sight of them. They were dark, and so beautiful that Noctis was kept in a trance, looking at them. He lowered the book from his face, and with an open mouth he kept looking at the bizarre woman who stood in front of him. She was graceful in every sense of the word.

The door behind Noctis opened, and he looked backwards to see who came in. It was Lunafreya. Noctis turned around again, to look at Gentiana, but she had disappeared. Noctis looked back at Lunafreya, who approached him from the door, Umbra and Pryna following closely behind her. As she came closer, she saw that Noctis was a bit pale.

“Are you alright, Noct?” She asked as she finally reached him. Noctis nodded and looked at the chair in which Gentiana had just been sitting.

“Where did she go?” Noctis asked, confused. He had just looked away for a brief moment, and suddenly she was gone. Had he been dreaming?

“Who?” Lunafreya asked.

“Gentiana,” Noctis replied. Lunafreya took a step back and smiled. She sat down on her bed, and tapped her hand on the bed, signalling for Noctis to join her. Having gotten stronger, Noctis could easily walk shorter distances, so he stood up from the wheelchair and slowly walked over and sat down.

“You met her? She is nice, no?” Lunafreya asked him. Noctis nodded, still not convinced he had actually met her.

“Is it true that she’s a Messenger?” Noctis asked. While that would help explain her sudden disappearance, it left so many new questions inside of Noctis’ head. Lunafreya nodded.

“She is, but it is none of your concern now. I have something else I want to show you,” She said and climbed down from the bed and fetched something from underneath her bed. After having searched for a moment, she pulled out and sat on her knees, a red book in her hands. On the cover was a golden image of flowers and birds flying. She looked at it for a moment and put it on Noctis’ lap. He looked at its cover for a moment, and then he opened it. The first page was blank, except from a blue flower which had been stuck to the page, using a golden wax seal.

“Nice flower!” Noctis exclaimed as he let his fingers run carefully over the flower. It was dried, yet the colours were very well preserved.

“It’s the same kind we sewed our crowns from! The Sylleblossoms” she said. Looking down at the book, she continued. “So… I have a favour to ask. Take the notebook with you when you go.” Noctis closed the notebook and put it on the bed beside him.

“Sure!”

“But that’s not all. I want you to put something in the book and send it back. Umbra will be there to collect it when you are ready,” She said, looking down at the sleeping dogs. Noctis wondered for a moment how Umbra would be able to know where he was, and when it was time to collect the notebook, however decided not to think too much about it. Many of the people and creatures which Lunafreya surrounded herself with, seemed beside the ordinary. Noctis smiled at this thought.

“Luna!” Queen Sylva’s voice echoed through the Manor. “It is time!” Lunafreya stood up from the floor and let a hand out towards Noctis. He took it, and she helped him over to the wheelchair.

Downstairs, King Regis and Queen Sylva were waiting, along with a boy whom Noctis had not yet met. However, judging from his appearance, he would be Tenebraean as well.

“That is my brother, Ravus,” Lunafreya told Noctis as they slowly came down the stairs. His hair was even lighter than that of Lunafreya, almost as white as Pryna’s fur. His eyes were just as blue as Lunafreya’s, yet appeared less welcoming than hers.

“Are you two ready to head out?” Queen Sylva asked, and both Noctis and Lunafreya nodded. Lunafreya insisted on continuing to push Noctis’ wheelchair on the journey, as they headed along the very same path that had led Noctis and Lunafreya out into the Sylleblossom fields the week prior. This time however, they continued along, until they reached a meadow far into the forest. It was a beautiful scenery, quite close to looking like something that had belonged in Noctis’ Dream World. Waterfalls were protruding from small rivers that curved through the forest. The meadow was quite large, and above them was a large gap between the crowns of the trees, which allowed for the midday sun to shine its light upon them. Small white flowers grew in the grass, and berry bushes were to be found along the sides of the meadow.

Noctis and Lunafreya walked a bit further behind the others, and thus reached the far end of the meadow a while after the others. They did not speak, however, both Noctis and Lunafreya were very keen on taking in everything they saw and smelled around them. The freshness of the river water, and the sound of it splashing from the waterfall, accompanied by the chirping of birds dancing in the air.

As the two came nearer to the others, a deep humming sound could be heard; it sounded like an engine. Lunafreya looked up, and between the crowns of the trees, a dark airship could be seen to descend from high above. She kept looking at it, unsure if to say something, Noctis followed her gaze. The wind caused by the engines of the airship got stronger, and quickly, the sound of the waterfalls became quelled by the engines.

“The Empire!” Regis roared, and panic started to grow in the faces of the people assembled in the meadow. He came running towards Noctis and pushed his wheelchair forward, having grabbed Lunafreya by the hand and started making for the path from which they had originally come. Soldiers started coming down from above, and the sound of screams and gunshots quickly started to fill their ears. Several Imperial soldiers walked quickly ahead of the others, and with flamethrowers, lit the meadow ablaze. Amidst their running, Queen Sylva and her son, Ravus, fell behind. Looking around, Regis realised that Sylva had vanished from his side and looked back. She was running towards the Imperial General, who held her son’s arm in his hand, sword raised to his throat.  

“Noctis, Luna, stay hidden over there,” King Regis said, pointing towards a small gap in between the trees. Lunafreya pushed Noctis away from his father, and towards the gap. Regis extended his right arm, and in his hand, was now his sword. A beautifully crafted weapon, the long blade shimmering in the light from the fire. Regis ran towards the Queen and her son, who were both standing amidst the tall flames. The heat was incredible, and Regis could not get any closer than where he was, without being set afire.

From this position, King Regis could see that the General had let go of Ravus, and instead taken the Queen. The General saw that Regis was standing, observing them, unable to do anything, and while looking in his direction, the General raised his sword. The Queen had her eyes closed, lips moving and hands folded in prayer. The sound of her son screaming from behind her pierced the air. Then, the General’s sword bore its way through the Queen’s chest, and almost reached Ravus who was on his knees behind her, face contorted in pain as he witnessed his mother’s death. The Queen fell backwards as the General withdrew his sword from her dying body, and the Queen was left beside her son, gasping for her last breath. All sound but his own rapid heartbeat seemed to have vanished for the King, as the General was now headed towards him, slowly speeding as he came closer.

The General once again raised his heavy sword, ready to strike the King. Regis got ready to fight, and with his feet placed solidly on the ground, Regis could parry the enemy attack. However, as the two had their swords against each other, Regis could easily feel, that his enemy was physically stronger. He closed his eyes, and soon after, the crystal on the Ring of the Lucii started to glow brightly, and an incredible strength flowed through Regis’ veins, burning its way to every capillary in his body. With an immense power, Regis pushed the General away, sending him flying towards the other end of the meadow. Seemingly having weakened his enemy, Regis saw his fit to leave and get his son someplace safe.

As he walked towards the gap between the trees, Lunafreya approached the King. Her cape was torn in one side, and her dress had started to tear at its bottom. Her usual composure had worn off, and instead, a scared girl was standing before Regis, fearing for her mother and brother’s life.

“Where are they?” She asked, almost pleading. Regis looked at the scared girl for a moment, until he turned around and looked towards the flames. In between them, Regis could see Imperial soldiers had started to surround the grieving Ravus, who still sat with his mother’s dead body in his arms. Lunafreya started to walk towards her brother, having seen the despair he was left in, but Regis grabbed hold of her arm.

“We need to get you someplace safe, Princess, we cannot afford to lose more lives to the Empire. Not today,” Regis said, almost pleading, but Lunafreya decisively shook his hand off. She straightened her back, and with great determination, she looked back at him, with a hint of anger in her eyes and voice.

“I will not leave my brother.” and she walked towards him, her cape flowing behind her. She walked through the flames and joined her brother. Now, the Imperial soldiers were busy taking care of them, and seeing that Regis had nothing more he could do to help them, he turned around and made for his son, who was waiting where Lunafreya had left him. Unable to say goodbye to his friend, Noctis was crying in his father’s arms as Regis ran away from the scene.

As they reached the overlook by Fenestala Manor, King Regis realised, that this had not merely been an attack on the royalty. It was an Imperial siege of Tenebrae. From each city in Tenebrae, a dark smoke was rising towards the sky, as fires ravaged the homes of the citizens. It was a grim image which they stood in front of. This could just as easily have been his own citizens that were being forced out of their homes. He had to find a way out of Tenebrae, so that he could get his son back home to Insomnia, where he would be able to protect his son and devise a plan so that once and for all, the Empire could be defeated. And where was Drautos when they needed him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been really bad at keeping at it with my fanfictions. But it just takes a good amount of time for me to write and research, into this one in particular, and with exams every 8 weeks the pressure is on... I will try to keep at it though! :)


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